


And They Were Quarantined!

by JellyLollie



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:20:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 78
Words: 30,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23776000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JellyLollie/pseuds/JellyLollie
Summary: I think we could all use something short, lighthearted and fun in these trying times. Will there be more updates? Who the fuck knows...
Relationships: Elsa (Disney)/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)
Comments: 122
Kudos: 214





	1. Chapter 1

**Day 1: In Which She Finds Out That Her New Neighbor Is A Bit Of An Exhibitionist**

Elsa kept hovering over her collection of potted plants like a stern mother would probably inspect her children before school. Her crocus particularly concerned her—its leaves were showing unnatural blackspots, and Elsa wasn't sure what she could do to help her poor baby.

Caressing one of its leaves, she whispered, "Come on, little guy. Hang in there."

She kneeled down to look for her scissors, and her heart almost leaped out of her chest as the neighbor's balcony door screeched open.

"What do you mean, you're postponing the wedding?" a male voice shouted, and Elsa instinctively lowered herself against the railing. "Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker."

She heard fumbling, and porcelain clanking, and she wondered if she could just sneak back inside her living room without being noticed.

"Okay. Explain to me again why you're breaking off your engagement, Hiccup."

 _"I'm not breaking it off, idiot,"_ a muffled voice added. _"Haven't you checked the news? The whole world is going on lockdown."_

Her neighbor huffed. "Yes, I've checked the news, you condescending dick. What about your bachelor party?"

_"Is that what you're worried about?"_

"What else would I worry about? Hey, you know what we could do? Start a video call and click on one of those 'lonely Russian girls' ads together." The guy laughed with so much satisfaction that even Elsa, the sorry girl trying to blend in with her subpar hideout, felt it.

_"Yeah… Let's not."_

Elsa peeked over the railing and nearly fell back in astonishment. _Dear Lord, the man was naked! Wasn't he cold? It was the middle of March! Why on Earth was he taking a phonecall on his balcony while completely naked??_

She felt her cheeks burning up, and she prayed the floor would swallow her before the man noticed her there. Her blood rushed, and her palms sweated, and she was so overwhelmed that she didn't even notice the gardening scissors slipping through her fingers—not until it clanked deafeningly against the floor, that was.

Unsurprisingly, the noise caught her neighbor's attention, and Elsa had to pinch her thigh to ground herself.

 _"What was that?"_ the voice on the phone asked.

The man looked at her with an arched eyebrow, and she kept her eyes on his not to look… anywhere else.

"My neighbor," he explained. "She's gardening."

_"Is she cute?"_

"Okay, goodbye, Hiccup!"

_"But—"_

Her neighbor quickly ended the call, and the sudden silence made her immensely aware of the awkward first-encounter they were being hostages of—awkward for her, at least. If his smirk was of any indication, he seemed to be rather amused with the situation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you…" She dusted off her skirt as she stood up.

He shrugged and shoved a spoonful of cereal in his mouth. "That's okay," he said between chews. "I was being loud. Not your fault."

"Right…" Elsa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm Elsa, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He put the spoon back inside the bowl and gave her a greeting nod. "Jack. And the pleasure is all mine."

Elsa's mouth felt too dry to form words, and she debated internally which would be ruder: Rushing back to the safety of her four walls without another word, or continuing a disastrous conversation with an unclothed stranger?

"So… this quarantine, huh?" Without her noticing, he had moved to lean his arms against the railing. His bare skin touched the cold steel, and she was sure there was something wrong with him.

She bit her lower lip. "I know. Feels unreal."

"Tell me about it," he snorted, rolling his shoulders back, and in all honesty, she shouldn't be blamed for her wandering eyes— _It was an accident! He moved, so her brain just followed the movement! Everything happened purely on instinct._

She almost started laughing when she finally took a look at him... Jack wasn't naked at all! Black boxers covered his... _modesty_ , and she had never been so glad to see a pair of underwear in her entire life. She could not thank whoever had invented boxers enough. _Praise modern-day undergarments! Huzzah!_

Elsa nearly choked when her practical side caught up with her rambling thoughts. _Oh, perfect, Elsa_ , she chastised herself inside her head. First day of self-isolation, and she was already all happy to see a man in his underwear.

_What a great start._


	2. Chapter 2

**Day 2: In Which He Sends Her Running For The Hills… For Real This Time**

He wasn’t going to lie, he had pictured him being a zombie apocalypse survivalist before. His final girl complex had led him to prepare extensively for this exact moment in time—well, maybe not that exact, but still, he knew this day was coming. That was the sole reason why he had been Astrid’s punching bag for five goddamn years. Why he had let Hiccup drag them to camping trips in the middle of nowhere equipped only with a Swiss Army knife and a sleeping bag. Why he had presented himself a membership card to the local paintball field despite every battle ending with him bruised like he’d been tossed right under a bus...

What he didn’t predict was that he would meet his demise due to his askew organizational skills: He was starving, and he had nothing to eat. He had ordered some groceries online, but those could take anywhere between ninety minutes and three days to arrive. With how much he felt his stomach eating itself already, he could very well be dead by the time the delivery people got there. He was going to melt in gastric acid from the inside out, and Hiccup would be contacted to scoop up the puddle of his remnants and ship it back home in a Tupperware container.

He opened one of the cabinets again and inspected its interior. He had been saving that specific can for an emergency, yet again, Jack turning into a puddle could probably be considered one.

“It’s your lucky day, motherfucker.”

He rummaged through the cutlery holder for a fork and did not hesitate to eat the meat straight from the can. Taking a peek through the balcony glass, he spotted Elsa curled up on her bench with a warm mug in her hands, and he smiled.

With his fork held between his lips, he slid open the door and greeted her with a wink. “Hey, Elsa.”

“Good morning, Jack—” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “What the hell are you eating?”

He looked down at the can he was holding, then back at her. Then back at the can. And back at her again. “Uh… Spam?”

Her frown only deepened, and he bit the inside of his cheeks to stop himself from smiling too widely. 

“Do you even know what’s in that... _thing_?” she spat the last word like his choice of breakfast was the source of all vileness that had ever existed in the world. 

He made a show of scooping up a good amount of meat— _if Spam could even be considered meat—_ and slowly led it to his mouth. He moaned in extasis before licking his fork clean. With a raised eyebrow at her, he suggested, “Deliciousness?”

Elsa scrunched up her nose in disgust. “The smell alone is making me gag.”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

“I can’t—” Elsa curled her upper body forward, and she did indeed cover a gag with a hand. “I’m going back inside. Enjoy your breakfast, Jack.”

“Well, you know where to find me,” he sang.

“Sure.” He barely heard her reply before the door was snapping shut after her.

Shaking his head, he took another bite of his luxurious meal. He wondered if she was still watching him from inside, and he waved at her for good measure. Then, he plopped down on the couch, making a mental note to order some more cans of Spam later. It wasn’t even like he loved Spam that much. He just wanted to see that adorable crease between her eyebrows again— _Wait…_

_… Did he really just think that?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 3: In Which She Shames Him For Shaming His Cat**

Elsa watched people wandering through the streets, her feelings a mosaic of annoyance, helplessness, and every other feeling in between. Surely, movement had lessened considerably in the past few days, but some reckless idiots still dared to go outside regardless of every health organization in the world telling them not to. She huffed, distress making her chest tighten and her breath shallow. 

Her ears perked up at the sound of rustling next door, and she smiled at her neighbor from over her shoulder.

“Hi, Jack.”

“Hey.” Jack went to lean against the railing and looked sideways at her. “So? How are you coping with your house arrest?”

She hummed, letting her forehead rest against the steel. “Bored. I think I’ve already cleaned my oven three times this week.”

Jack snorted. “I hear you. There are so many photos I can take of Fat Diana before it becomes repetitive.”

Elsa frowned. “Who’s… Fat Diana?”

She watched his smirk taking shape, and the mischief he emanated sent a chill of apprehension down her spine.

“Wait here,” he said, pushing himself to stand upright. Before stepping inside his living room, he turned and pointed at her with narrowed eyes. “Don’t move.”

Soon later, Jack was coming out with a bundled up fluffy blanket in his arms. Upon further inspection, Elsa realized that it was, in reality, a rather overweight grey cat he carried. The cat tried to squirm free, but Jack kept it pressed firmly against his chest.

“Elsa, meet Diana, or how I’ve been calling her since she went on a weight-gaining spree, Fat Diana.” Jack rubbed his face on the cat’s back, and Diana purred as she stretched her spine.

Elsa hid a chuckle behind her hand. “Are you seriously fat shaming your own cat?”

“I mean, I keep filling her food bowl, so I’m pretty sure I’m entitled to _some_ shaming.”

Diana, apparently fed off with his judgemental tone, dug her claws into the inner side of her owner’s arm, making him cry in pain.

“Fuck, Diana!” Jack shouted as the cat leaped off to her much-deserved freedom.

Elsa was openly laughing at that point. She rested her chin on her hand as she shook her head disapprovingly. “Serves you right.”

jack snorted, a hand still clutching his freshly punctured skin. “Oh, sure, take her side. That doesn’t upset me at all.”

“Us girls have to stick together,” she said with shrug.

Elsa tried to catch another glimpse of the cat, but to her disappointment, Diana remained hidden too deep inside Jack's apartment. And as she waited for the cat to reappear, she sensed its owner's eyes on her. She shifted on her feet, and ignoring her reddening cheeks, she looked up.

“What?”

Puzzlement had completely filled his eyes, and Elsa felt even more self-conscious under his gaze.

“... You’re unbelievable.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 4: In Which He Finds Out That She Is Actually A Crazy Mama Bear**

Jack had just received an email from HR officially canceling his travels until further notice. Not that it surprised him, what with the pandemic’s exponential growth and arising mass chaos. He was just glad he still had a job, and that part of his work could still be done from home.

He set up a comfy nest of blankets and pillows outside and sat there, armed with his laptop, a thermos of piping hot coffee, and a whole package of Double Stuf Oreos. The trifecta of caffeine, sugar, and cold-ass wind hitting him in the face kept him awake as he worked. He had practically a terabyte of photos to edit, and since he wasn’t going anywhere for only God knows how long, he had no excuse not to get to them. Still, cleaning up studio photos was a pain, and he got bored pretty fast.

He dozed off somewhere between Flynn in a speedo and Wilbur looking constipated just to be woken up by the neighbor’s doors sliding open. Jack grunted as he rubbed the sleep off his eyes.

“Oh, hey, Jack,” Elsas greeted him as she went to tend to her plants.

“Morning,” he grumbled, sitting up.

She looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “It’s seven p.m..”

 _Damn. That had been one hell of a nap._ No wonder it was so chilly outside. And the darkening sky suddenly made so much more sense.

Jack clicked his tongue. “I knew that...”

Elsa watched him carefully. Her eyes were so hard on him that he was pretty sure she could read his soul. “Tell me you weren’t sleeping outside.”

“I wasn’t. I only closed my eyes for, like, a second.”

“Jack!” she shouted, hitting the railing with the watering can.

“Elsa!” he mimicked her, punctuating her name with a slap on his thigh.

Elsa crossed her arms. “Now’s not the time for you to get sick because you were being an idiot!”

He snorted. “It was just a nap—wait, did you just call me an idiot?”

“You need to be careful.”

Jack pouted like a small child chastised for touching the cool blue flame on the stove. “But I am being careful.”

Elsa had none of his bullshit. She snapped her fingers, then pointed at his door. “Go inside, crank up the heat, and eat something nice and warm to up your antibodies count.”

“What are you, my mom?” He tried to laugh, but that damn girl had her reprimanding glare perfected to a T. Jack threw his hands in the air before getting up. “Alright, I’m going. Happy?”

“Goodnight, Jack!” she sang, and her voice tone was so patronizing he felt like throwing a pillow at her. If they weren’t avoiding contamination, he probably would have done just that.

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled instead. “See you tomorrow, Elsa.”

Despite all grief he gave her, Jack ended up doing exactly as she had ordered. By the time he hopped off the shower, his intercom was ringing, and he rushed to get it. 

_“Food delivery for Jack,”_ a guy said from the other side of the line.

He frowned. “I didn’t order anything.”

_“You sure? It’s already paid for.”_

Still skeptical, he wondered if Hiccup had sent him something. That wouldn’t be the first time they had stuff delivered to each other’s place anyway. “What’s the delivery?”

 _“Uh… Super Immunity Boost Soup, large size, extra garlic… And a bottle of ginger tea.”_

_Nope. Definitely not Hiccup._

Jack groaned, running a hand down his face with disgruntlement. _Jesus Fucking Christ, that girl was a psycho!_

_“... Sir?”_

He sighed the heaviest sigh he could muster. “Yeah… I’ll be down in a second.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 5: In Which Her Sister Catches Up With Her**

_“Are you sterilizing your apartment? Because Kristoff told me the other day that the virus can stay alive for, like, a week, even without a host!”_

Elsa sighed, propping her head up on a hand as she stared at her computer screen. “Yes, Anna. I have been cleaning my apartment thoroughly, as I have informed you yesterday. And the day before. And the day before that as well...”

The pixelated image of her sister shrugged. _“I’m just trying to look out for you, Elsa. I worry about you being all alone in there.”_

A warm smile rose to her lips, and Elsa’s eyes softened. She leaned forward and lowered her voice to a sweet whisper, “I know. And I love you for caring.”

_“Aw, love you too, sis. What about your prescription? We’re starting to have some shipping delays over here, so you might wanna buy your meds while you still can.”_

“Don’t worry, Anna, my cabinet is considerably stocked. It should last me for the next month or so.”

There was a knock on her wall, and Elsa looked up curiously.

 _“Hey, Elsa?”_ Jack’s muffled voice reached her kitchen.

“Yeah?” she shouted back.

_“Can you talk?”_

“Sure. What’s up?”

_“How much salt do you need to cook pasta?”_

“Enough to make the water taste like seawater.”

_“Got it. Thanks!”_

“Don’t burn down your kitchen!”

_“I make no promises!”_

Scoffing to herself, Elsa returned her attention to her video call, and the sight on her screen made her chuckle. Anna’s face practically covered the whole camera. “Anna, you’re too close.”

 _“Who was that?!”_ Anna’s screech was so high that it made Elsa’s ears hurt.

Scowling, Elsa pulled one of her earphones out. “My neighbor. He’s cooking pasta apparently.”

Anna hummed, and she kept bouncing back and forth with a silly grin on her face. Years of living under the same roof had taught Elsa that _that_ was the kind of face Anna made when she had a secret she was dying to share with the rest of the world.

Elsa’s eyes narrowed. “What is it?”

_“You, dear sister, were flirting just now.”_

“I was not!”

_“You so were!”_

“I’m hanging up,” Elsa said, rolling her shoulders back and putting on her ‘I’m the eldest daughter, and you will respect me’ hat.

Anna’s arms stretched out to hold both sides of the screen. _“Wait! What does he look like? On a scale of one to ten, how hot is he? Because he sounded like a ten thousand—”_

“Bye, Anna!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 6: In Which He Beers**

“Go back inside, bastards,” he grumbled as he watched those tiny people down on the street. He drank some more of his beer and continued to mentally scrutinize a person who passed jogging. 

He heard Elsa coming outside and asking, “What are you doing?”

“Bitching about inconsiderate people,” he said with a snort.

“And drinking beer?”

He nodded. “Bitchin’ and beers. That’s gonna be the name of the bar I’m opening when the pandemic is over.” 

Elsa hummed, and he watched from the corner of his eyes as she untied her braid and loosened the waves with her fingers. A breeze blew by, and maybe he imagined it, but he was pretty sure he could smell her shampoo in the air. It smelled like flowers and candy— _how could her hair smell like candy? And would it be okay if he switched to the same shampoo as hers?_

Jack shook his head and took another swig of beer. “Join me, won’t you?”

“In your bitching?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

He raised his bottle at her. “And beering.”

“I don’t have any beer.”

That made him do a double-take. Elsa leaned on her elbows as she stared at the street down below, lips pursed and eyebrows creased. He blatantly stared at her until she noticed him and looked up.

“Yes?” she asked.

He drank some more. “It’s the fucking end of the world, what do you mean you don’t have any beer?”

“I was never a beer kind of girl. Too bitter.”

Jack threw his head back and laughed. “Next, you’re gonna tell me you didn’t stock up on toilet paper either!”

“I can’t really tell if you’re joking or not...”

He drank some more, then turned so he could fully face her. One of her eyebrows were arched upwards, and she seemed to be holding her smile behind a crumbling wall of nonchalance.

Jack scowled at her. “Are you seriously gonna leave me drinking by myself here?”

Elsa ran a hand through her hair, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Would it please you if I had a glass of wine instead?”

“Desperate times, I guess…” he mumbled with a shrug.

Rolling her eyes at him, she started to make her way back inside. “I’ll join your sorrow party shortly.”

“Well I’m on my second bottle, so you’ve got some catching up to do!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Day 7: In Which He Starts A YouTube Channel**

Elsa peeked through her curtains to find… an unusual scene. Jack was on his balcony, wearing safety goggles and a white lab coat. In front of him, he had the table set up with a variety of items she couldn’t quite identify, and his phone was propped up on a tripod with its screen aimed at him.

She cracked her door open and poked her head around it. “What are you up to now?” Elsa shouted.

Jack perked up, taking his goggles off his eyes and threw a big smile in her direction. “Look, everyone, it’s my neighbor Elsa!” He hurriedly took his phone and pointed it at her. “Say hi to everyone, Elsa!”

Still confused, she gave the camera a tiny wave. “Hi. Who’s everyone again?”

“My audience, duh.”

She looked at him as if he had suddenly started speaking another language. “Audience?”

He grinned at her like a kid on a snow day. His eyes were full of sincere joy and excitement. “I’m live streaming!”

“... Of course you are.”

“Perfect timing.” He returned to his station, putting the camera back in its previous place. “I’m doing the mentos and coke experiment.”

She snorted, going back inside her apartment. “I’ll see you later, Jack.”

“You better follow my channel, Elsa!” his voice followed after her.

“Because I don’t put up with you in real life enough already?”

“HEY!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 8: In Which Her Threat Is Real**

Their end-of-the-day venting session had stretched itself into a leisurely 'snacks and booze' moment without either of them really noticing. They were talking about his job, and she seemed absurdly interested in his trips, and his backpacking up and down snowy mountains and thick rainforests. Her curiosity had no qualms, and she asked him about everything and anything—the food he ate, the people he met, the climate, the architecture, the history, the culture… Elsa had left no stone unturned, and— _yeah, okay, so maybe he painted the whole shebang in a more glamorous light than reality, but come on, there she was, a stunning girl who also happened to be smart and funny—and not goofball funny, but poised and sophisticated funny—showing legitimate interest in the words coming out of his mouth. Sure, she had no other options available with the whole quarantine thing going on, but still… That girl was into him. And, by God, he would let Diana eat one of his eyeballs before he let that girl go without a fight._

Elsa kept swirling her wine—she still stuck to wine, no matter how much he mocked her about it, seemingly enthralled by the shapes it left on the sides of the glass. “My sister gave me a polaroid camera as a birthday gift a couple of years back,” she commented.

Jack scoffed, shoving a handful of chips inside his mouth. “I hate polaroids. Too hipster for my taste.”

She looked at him with a frown. “What are you talking about? You just became a YouTuber.”

He shrugged. “Still don’t like ‘em.”

“Wait right there,” Elsa said, putting her glass down, and stormed back inside her apartment.

Half a bag of chips later, she returned with her camera, its rainbow strap wrapped around her wrist.

“Oh God, no…” Jack groaned, burying his face in his hand.

She hid behind the camera lens and smirked. “Come on, look over here.”

He scowled, poking his tongue out. “I take offense in this, Elsa.”

“Say cheese!”

The sudden flash momentarily blinded him, and he had to blink a couple of times for his vision's functionality to return.

Elsa tsked while shaking the freshly taken picture in the air. “You are _so_ dramatic.”

He rolled his eyes, stubbornly opting for not gracing her with a reply. 

As she inspected the photograph, Elsa started giggling, and he found himself admittedly torn between remaining indignant at her lack of photographic sense and joining her—even if the source of her enjoyment at the moment was, well, his dumb self. 

“I hope I at least look good in it,” he grumbled.

She looked up at him, lower lip trapped between her teeth. “Your hair is a mess,” she said as she showed him the picture, but it was too dark out there for him to see much— _thank God for that!_

Jack shrugged. “Hey, we’re on lockdown. If there ever was a time when it was socially acceptable to not give a fuck about appearances, it is now.”

She laughed wholeheartedly, and Jack was sure the melodious sound of her voice would be etched into his brain for eternity. “You can quarantine and still comb your hair, Jack. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

“We do not use combs in this household, Elsa,” he stated in all seriousness.

Elsa shook her head before finishing her wine. “You’re hopeless. And I’m buying you a comb as soon as the stores reopen.”

“I’m flattered. But also a little bit offended.”

Feeling a bit self-conscious, he ran a casual hand down his head to smooth out some of the tangled locks. His subtlety left much to be desired, apparently, seeing as not a moment later, he heard Elsa telling him, "Messy looks good on you, though. You’re the kind of annoying guy who can pull off the roguishly handsome aesthetics without effort.”

He stared at her, a finger stuck on a knotted patch of hair. With his other hand, he pulled his phone out. "Can you repeat that so I can put it on my channel?"

Elsa rolled her eyes. “You do that and I’m never talking to you again.”

“Uh, Hello? We’re quarantined,” Jack sang with a mocking laugh. “Have fun talking to your damn plants after you ditch me!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Day 9: In Which He Supports Local Businesses**

Elsa was quite done with her job for the day. Some of her fellow workmates were being far too strict in spite of the unstable scenario they found themselves in, and she could not take any more of their nonsensical complaints. Going to the sliding door, she stepped outside to find her neighbor in the middle of a call, and he smirked, covering his phone with a hand.

“Hey. Off work already?”

Elsa nodded, sipping from her steaming mug. “I hate conference calls.”

He chuckled. “What happened?”

She snorted. “Our project manager is turning out to be an even bigger idiot remotely than he was face to face—”

“Hold that thought,” he said with an apologetic smile and straightened up, pressing his phone closer to his ear. “Hi, yeah, I’m still here.” There was a pause as he listened to the other side. “Yes, I know it says on your website that you’re closed right now, but I was wondering if there was any way I could still hire a dancer for a little webcam striptease show?”

Elsa couldn’t stop herself from choking at his words. She coughed frantically, lungs being deprived of oxygen, nose stinging from inside, and hot tea spilled from her mug, burning her fingers and her upper chest through the layers of her clothes. She hunched forward,  pressing a hand to her nostrils. 

“Shit…” Jack cursed. “Are you okay?”

Elsa glared at him, eyes sparkling with tears, and hissed,  _ “What are you even doing?”  _

He held up a finger for her to wait. On the phone, he shouted, “No, I’m not a creep! That’s so rude!” He made violent gestures with his free arm. “My best friend had to cancel his bachelor party, and as the best man, I was trying to find an alternative that could soften the blow… You know, because I’m an awesome friend like that!”

He listened some more as he pressed his fingers to his eyelids. “Sure, I’ll send you an email. Thanks. Yeah, you too!” With a groan, he hung up and darted his eyes to the sky.

“What—” She snapped her mouth shut. She had a feeling she’d be better off not knowing what sort of ridiculous scheme he was planning now.

Jack shrugged. “Support your local strip club, am I right?”


	10. Chapter 10

**Day 10: In Which They Donut**

They sat with their backs turned to each other as they did their own things. Jack played on his phone while Elsa read, silence only broken by his quiet humming and the flipping of her pages. Being alone together had become another of their quarantine activities to partake in whenever neither were in the mood for talking much, but also didn’t feel like being alone either.

He stretched his legs and dropped his head back, letting sunlight hit his face. He let out a loud sigh as he closed his eye. “I want donuts,” Jack grumbled.

Elsa turned another page but showed no signs of even hearing his statement.

He turned around and yelled, “I want donuts!”

She snorted, eyes still glued to her book. “I heard you the first time, Jack.”

“Then say something sooner, Elsa!”

Elsa closed her book with a huff and shifted to glare at him. She was fuming, and he felt tempted to apologize just so he could tease her about it next. “Well, what were you expecting me to do? Produce a box of donuts right in front of your eyes like magic?”

He smirked, crossing his arms. “I’m not gonna lie, that would be pretty awesome. Can you really do that?”

Rolling her eyes, Elsa returned to her reading.

Clicking his tongue, Jack reached for his phone and started scrolling through his apps. “Alright. I’m ordering donuts. Whatcha having?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

His head snapped back in utter shock, and he threw daggers at the back of her head. “You’re not gonna let me eat a whole box of donuts on my own, are you?”

“You don’t—you don’t have to buy a whole box!” Her indignance was real. He saw it in the way her hands shook, and the way her lips pressed together, and the way her eyes narrowed like she was trying to set him in flames.

Jack laughed. “Come on, calories count doesn’t even exist in the quarantine. Live a little.”

One of her eyebrows arched upwards. “And how exactly do you suggest we split a box of donuts? You’re gonna toss it in the air and I’m gonna catch it with my mouth like an aquarium seal?”

His eyebrows rivaled hers in teasing amusement. “Are you proposing we do that? Because I figured I could ask for separate containers and leave one at your door.”

“That… is a surprisingly good idea.”

Jack shrugged. “But if you wanna be a trained seal, by all means, Elsa—”

“You know what?” Elsa snapped, getting up and putting her hands on her hips. “Get me a chocolate glazed donut. Actually, make that two chocolate glazed donuts.”

“Whoa, going rogue, aren’t we?” Jack leaned back and threw a wink in her direction. “Easy there, Snowflake. We still have a whole season ahead of us…”


	11. Chapter 11

**Day 11: In Which He’s A Musical Genius**

_“My middle finger goes where?!”_

Elsa nearly jumped at the indignant shout she heard coming from the next-door apartment. Her heart raced, and she found herself split between moving along with her chores and going to check whatever stupid thing Jack had gotten himself into this time.

_“What are you talking about? I can’t bend like that!”_

With her breath stuck in her throat, she carefully opened her balcony door a small crack. She saw Jack groaning, then smashing a fist on the guitar he had on his lap. 

“This can’t be right,” he said. “Are you messing with me, kiddo?”

Elsa opened the door the rest of the way and headed in his direction.

Jack sensed her approaching and looked up. His creased eyebrows softened and opened room for a bright smile to surface. “Oh, hey!” He waved at her. “I’m having a guitar lesson.”

Elsa leaned with her arms on the railing. “I can see that.”

He pointed at Elsa, and his eyes drifted to the building across from theirs. She followed his gaze and found a boy intently looking at them from his window.

“Miguel, this is Elsa,” Jack shouted.

“Hi, Elsa!”

She waved back, smiling at the boy while Jack returned to fiddling with the guitar’s strings. His eyebrows furrowed, tongue stuck out in concentration, and Elsa chuckled as she watched him struggling with the positioning of his fingers.

“I didn’t know you played,” she commented.

He snorted, throwing his head back. “Don’t let my roguishly handsome rockstar looks mislead you, Elsa. I haven’t touched this thing since my college days.”

Elsa hummed, closing her eyes and letting the dull strums and Jack’s displeased grunts fill her ears. She had no musical training, in any sense of the term, but even her layperson self was aware that the guy lacked talent. Still, she found herself compelled to his playing. _Quite schadefreudian of her...  
_

“Got it, Miguel!” Jack roared in triumph. “Hit me with the next chord!”


	12. Chapter 12

**Day 12: In Which She Shares Goods With Him**

“Hey, watcha drinking?” Jack came outside with Diana in his arms and plopped down on the couch, propping his feet up on a chair.

“Hot chocolate,” she replied between sips.

He hummed as he kept rubbing his cat’s fat belly. “Smells awesome.”

“Thank you.”

“You know what? I think I have some instant powder somewhere, maybe I’ll have some too—”

“Hold on.” Elsa sat up with her index finger up in the air. “I’ve turned a blind eye to many of your outlandish meal choices, Jack—”

“As if! You still mock me for eating Spam!” he shouted, startling poor Diana.

“But I will not concede this time.” Elsa stood up and stared at him with her arms crossed. She seemed legitimately pissed at him— _and, surprisingly enough, he had done nothing to anger her this time!_ “You are not having instant hot chocolate on my watch.”

He crossed his arms as well, but unlike her, he smirked with amusement. “Yeah? What are you suggesting?”

Her eyes narrowed ever so slowly, then she puffed out her chest as she stated, “I’m sharing some of my precious hot chocolate supply with you.”

Despite her tone, Jack was having a hard time taking her seriously, and he chuckled. “Wait, what?”

She made her way back inside as she announced from over her shoulder, “Give me ten minutes, I’ll leave it at your door.”

Jack shook his head, running a hand down his hair. “Are you serious?” he shouted after her.

Elsa poked her head out to glare at him. “Of course I am. Be grateful.”

“Oh, I fucking am, Elsa. Beyond words.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Day 13: In Which He’s Hiding Something**

Elsa was just finishing the nightly inspection of her plants when he strolled outside, snacking on a cured sausage and tipping his black hat at her in greeting. 

“Evening, Elsa,” he mumbled with his mouth full of half-chewed meat.

She looked at him with an arched eyebrow. “You’re eating a sausage.”

“I sure am.”

She couldn't quite see his eyes, and it unsettled her. Jack was the kind of person who spoke a thousand words with his eyes alone, and not being able to read him fully made her disconcerted.

“And you’re wearing a hat,” she stated with a frown.

Jack chuckled. “Yes, another astute observation.”

“Shut up,” Elsa grumbled.

Jack kept munching on his food, and her displeased grunts only fueled him to make an even bigger spectacle out of eating that single piece of meat. 

She glowered at him. "Can you stop that?"

"Stop what? Eating?” He snorted. “Who’s fat-shaming who now?”

“I’m not—I seriously hope your diet consists of more than processed meat and carbs.”

“I’m pretty sure I ate a piece of carrot yesterday… or was it the day before?”

"Oh, God…" She mumbled, dropping herself on the nearest chair. She arched an eyebrow at him as she crossed her arms. “So what’s the story behind the hat?"

He shrugged. “I’m making a fashion statement.”

“I thought you didn’t care about your appearance while on house arrest.”

Jack leaned against the railing, smirking at her. “Okay, so maybe I’m trying to impress you.”

“And you figured a fedora would help?”

A moment of uncertainty crossed his smug expression. “...Yeah?”

She sighed. “Between the sausage and the hat, I can’t tell which is worse. I honestly would rather see you without the hat... and the sausage, for that matter."

Propping himself on his elbows, his hands ran to rub the back of his neck. "You say that because you don't know what's hiding underneath the hat."

Elsa frowned. "Your hair? We've been through this: you pull off the strategically disarrayed hairstyle with ease. Own it."

Jack rubbed his eyes, accidentally crooking his hat to the side in the process. "Yeah, that was before…"

"Before what?"

"See, my hair kept falling in my eyes…"

Elsa sucked in a breath of apprehension. "Oh, no…"

"And I had scissors."

"You did not."

"I kinda did." He flashed a sheepish smile at her.

"Oh, Jack.” Elsa’s eyes softened, and she got on her feet to stand across from him. “I'm sure it's not that bad."

Jack straightened up. “Yeah? Would you go out in public _with this hair?”_

He ripped his hat off, presenting her with his new haircut. It was… _amateur,_ to say the least.

Elsa bit her lower lip in order to maintain her serious façade. “We’re not allowed to go out in public right now,” she reminded him.

He crossed his arms and glowered at her. “You know what I mean.”

She shrugged. “Tell you what, if your hair still looks like that when the quarantine is over, you and I can go out for a nice glass of wine or something so you know I'm not lying when I say this: it's not that bad.”

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Are you serious?"

"I mean, cutting a straight line across your forehead was a bold move, but at least it's got personality." She smirked, the teasing nature of her expression much like his usual one.

"Okay, now you're fucking with me."

Elsa laughed wholeheartedly.

“Why wouldn’t I be?”


	14. Chapter 14

**Day 14: In Which He Dweebs**

He was in the middle of pouring himself a nice cup of coffee when he heard a crashing sound coming from his neighbor’s balcony. Without a second thought, he put his beverage down and stormed outside.

Elsa had been crouching down on the floor with an explosion of porcelain fragments around her, and she jumped at the sound of him bursting his door open.

“What happened?” he yelled.

She looked at him, eyes wide with startlement, and pointed an accusing finger in his direction. “Why are you naked again?!”

Jack looked down at his bare body. _Right._ He forgot about that. But that was not the time to dwell on his nakedness, seeing as they had more pressing matters to tend to. With a murderous glare, he pointed at her hand. “Why are you bleeding?”

Elsa looked down, genuinely puzzled by the streak of red dripping down her finger.

“Goddamit, Elsa.” He gripped the railing so firmly his knuckles hurt. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Nothing, my mug just slipped,” she mumbled as she wrapped the hem of her shirt around her finger and pressed it tightly. “Go put some clothes on!”

He kept staring at her hands, panic making him feel lightheaded. “Is it deep?”

“I’m not sure…”

His palms started sweating, and he tugged on his hair until his scalp went numb. _Oh God, they were going to need to take a trip to the hospital. He HATED hospitals. How were they even getting there? Were taxi drivers being allowed to work during the quarantine? Would she need stitches? Could the virus spread through open wounds? Where did he put his goddamn masks? Did he have any hand sanitizer left? What if—_

“JACK!”

Jack took a step back, completely disoriented. He blinked. Elsa was looking at him like he was starting to fade right in front of her eyes.

“What?”

“I called you three times,” she said, the frown on her face deepening. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

 _Was he?_ He shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna go disinfect this…” She gestured with her injured hand. “Are _you_ gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, I—” He let out a disgusting sound that was half cough, half laugh… and half sigh. Suddenly far too tired for a simple morning on his balcony, Jack slid a hand down his face. “Don’t you dare hurt yourself again, Elsa.”

Elsa scoffed. “Oh, sure, because I cut myself with a sharp piece of porcelain on purpose. As one does.”

“I mean it. You lose another drop of blood and I’m shooting your precious baby plants with a fucking slingshot.”

“Stop being dramatic, you idiot.” With a final roll of eyes at him, she disappeared through her door. 

“SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR DAMN FLOWERS, ELSA!”


	15. Chapter 15

**Day 15: In Which They Play Monopoly**

“Eight! Ha! I'm building another house!”

Elsa groaned as she watched him moving his piece eight spaces down the board. “You did not just roll an eight.”

“Did too!” Jack shouted, brandishing a stack of $100 bills in her direction.

She scowled at him. “I don’t believe you.”

"Well, I'm the board master, so you either take it or leave it.” Jack snorted, rather pleased with himself, as he counted his money for the sixth time in the last ten minutes. “And since you’re still stuck with me as your only human companion, I don't think you have much of a choice but to accept my amazing dice rolling skills."

“Have I reminded you of how much of an idiot you are?”

“As in ‘today’, or as in ‘since the first time we’ve met’?” He rolled his eyes. “Go on, your turn.”

With a loud huff, she picked her phone and gave it a quick shake. She had downloaded a dice app just for the sake of their game night—surely, the solution wasn’t ideal, and the experience lacked a more personal touch, but she would simply have to make do with that alternative.

“Five,” she grumbled as she took another sip of wine.

“Oh, bummer!” Jack laughed as he tapped her piece on the board. “You're going to jail again!”

“Again?” Elsa cried, throwing her arms in the air exasperatedly. “This game is rigged.”

“Hey, don’t blame the game for your bad luck.”

“Oh, I’m not blaming the game, Jack. I’m blaming you.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Day 16: In Which They Swipe**

He wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that, but Elsa was a surprisingly good aquarium seal. Their conversation that night had led to them tossing their phones across their balconies, and even though she’d argued that there were probably safer ways to make the exchange happen, she had managed to catch his phone flawlessly. They swapped phones back, and, after sterilizing the shit out of them as she had demanded, Jack carefully inspected his dearest neighbor’s work. 

“I can’t believe you never online dated,” he grumbled as he looked through the photos she had picked for his revamped Tinder profile.

He heard Elsa exhaling heavily. “Yes. I’m old school. I believe in real-life interactions. Sue me.”

A moment went by as she scrolled through her phone, then she groaned. “Where did you find these pictures?”

“Facebook.” He shrugged before pointing a threatening finger in her direction. “No changes allowed!”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “This is ridiculous…”

He snorted as he read his bio, and cleared his throat to quote, “‘Will ravish anything he can stick his fork into’.” Jack presented her with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “Congratulations, you turned me into a fuckboy.”

“Pretty sure you don't need my help to accomplish that.”

“Gee. Thanks.”

Elsa chuckled, rolling her shoulders back. “So what was it again? Right for yes and left for no?”

He nodded. “You got it.”

She hummed as she commenced her swiping, and Jack entertained himself with watching her. She was thoroughly analyzing every pixel, every word, every heavy-with-innuendo emoji in the profiles she came across, and it made him wonder if she really understood the purpose of a dating app…

“Oh, look.” She lifted her eyes and showed him her screen. “I found you.”

“Really? Hold on, I wanna find you too!” 

He started speed swiping, and it didn’t take him that long to come across her profile picture. He swiped right without an ounce of hesitation, and he waited… But nothing happened. 

“... Elsa?” he called her with a frown slowly forming on his face.

“Yes, Jack?”

“Did you seriously swipe left on me?”

“I did? Oh, I must’ve mixed things up,” Elsa mumbled, but he could see that she was biting her lip not to burst out laughing. “My apologies.”

He groaned, sliding a hand down his face in exasperation. “I can’t believe you. Do you understand what you did? We only had one chance to match, and you blew it.”

“What difference does it make? We’ve matched in real life—”

“It makes all the difference! How am I supposed to use cheesy pick up lines now—” His brain finally caught up with her words. “Wait, what did you say?”

Elsa shrugged, getting on her feet. “You know what? I don’t think I’m cut out for this whole dating app thing. I’m uninstalling it.”

He held up a finger in her direction. “Rewind, Elsa. What did you just say??”

“I’m going to bed.”

“No, you’re not. Not until you answer me,” Jack stated, attempting to convey all his authority through the crossing of his arms.

But Elsa, completely unfazed, flashed him a final smirk over her shoulder before heading inside her apartment. “Goodnight, Jack.”

“GET YOUR ASS BACK IN HERE, ELSA.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Day 17 In Which Her Emotions Are All Over The Place**

Elsa brought her legs to her chest, letting out a tired sigh as she rested her chin on her knees. She had just ended a video call with Anna and Punzie, and she felt drained. 

The conversation had started casually, the three of them simply catching up on trivial daily-life matters when, out of nowhere, things spiraled downward. Even when she looked back, Elsa couldn’t quite tell how it had happened. One moment, they were mocking Rapunzel’s recently acquired love for sourdough, next thing she knew, the girls were crumbling down, the first quavering voice causing a domino effect and surfacing every pang of vulnerability and despair each of them had kept within up to that point. 

And as much as Elsa liked to consider herself the strong one, there was not much she could do at that moment to console the other two. The rationality of her words sounded shallow even to her own ears, and she broke down, crying alongside her friends.

The night was cold, and she felt herself shivering, but she wasn’t ready to go back inside just yet. Out there on the balcony, she could see glimpses of life through the nearby windows, could hear snippets of music, and tv shows, and talking that mingled together in a soothing track void of meaning. She needed that white noise to keep herself grounded, some sort of normalcy indicator that connected her to the rest of the world, a streak of hope to keep herself sane... _Even if it was a borderline stalker one._

“What are you doing in the dark?”

Her turmoil was such that she hadn’t even noticed Jack’s arrival, much less that he had been observing her for only God knows how long. Elsa blinked, her mind unable to assimilate her neighbor’s words right away.

She frowned at the lightbulb above her head. she must have forgotten to turn it on. “Oh… I didn’t even notice.”

One of his eyebrows shot upwards. “Are you okay?”

“I—” She let out an exasperated laugh. Every bit of intention to play it cool going down the drain. “I don’t think I am.”

Jack continued to look at her, lips pressing together and forehead creasing with concern.

Elsa shook her head. “I’m starting to feel overwhelmed by all this,” she said, encompassing the world around them with a wide arm gesture. “Sorry for being such a downer.”

“Don’t apologize.” He groaned, hands running through his hair and poofing it up even more than the usual mess. He paced a couple of steps back and forth. “You have no idea how I wish I could parkour over to your side right now.”

Elsa’s chest tightened, breath caught in her throat, and she attempted a weak smile. “I didn’t know you parkoured.”

“I don’t.” He collapsed against the railing and looked at her through his tangled arms. “Maybe I should learn first, huh?”

Elsa shrugged. “Well, now’s the perfect time to acquire a new skill.”

“Yeah, you remember how the knitting session went, don’t you?”

“Right…” 

Elsa got on her feet so she could shorten the distance separating them. Arms against the railing, she locked eyes with him, and he smirked back at her with a hint of curiosity. 

“I hope your parkouring works out better than your poor scarf,” she said, making him laugh.

“Considering that we have nine floors of air between our balconies and the ground, yeah, so do I."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Unicornships made a gifset for this chapter!](https://unicornships.tumblr.com/post/617099734352642048/)


	18. Chapter 18

**Day 18: In Which She Works Him Hard**

That damn woman was working him hard. Nope, scratch that. She was working him _hard_.

Jack collapsed on the floor, panting so heavily he felt his lungs were about to explode. His legs had gone numb, every inch of his body was covered in sweat, he was dizzy, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t even think straight!

He heard her chuckling. “We’re not done yet, Jack.”

“Why—” he wheezed out in pain. _Fucking Christ, was he having a heart attack? Why was his vision darkening?_ “Are you… fine… right now?”

“I told you to watch your breathing.”

He groaned, gritting his teeth and covering his face with his arms.

“Come on, get up!”

“I am never getting up again,” Jack grumbled.

“Stop being dramatic. It’s just Yoga.”

He rolled onto his stomach so he could glare at her, and his annoyance only intensified at the sight of her propping her body up on a side plank position like it was no big deal. His arms hurt just from looking at her. 

_“How are you even doing that?”_

“It’s all about finding your center,” Elsa replied as she got on her feet and stretched her arms above her head.

Her shirt rode up, and he tried hard not to stare at the strip of flesh that had been exposed. With a grunt, he dropped his face on the floor again. _Goddamit, did she really have to wear a fucking tank top?_ “My center was not built for this...”

“Your center needs to be worked on.”

Jack snorted. He propped his chin on his hands and smiled his best innocent schoolboy smile at her. “Are you offering to work on _my center?”_

“Are you making a lewd comment again?”

“You tell me, Elsa. You tell me...”


	19. Chapter 19

**Day 19: In Which She gives Him A Tour Of Her Apartment**

“And this is my kitchen,” Elsa said, moving her phone around the room. “And look, no dirty dishes in the sink!”

He snorted. _“Yeah, yeah. You looking for a gold star or something?”_

“A clean environment has been shown to improve productivity.”

_“Who says I’m not productive? I bet I’m way more productive than you, because, you know, I don’t waste my time doing the fucking dishes!”_

“Calm down, you idiot.” Chuckling, Elsa walked around her small kitchen, showing her neighbor the inside of her impeccably organized cabinets. “Before cleaning the dishes, you should think about cleaning your ears. Did you seriously not hear me saying the word ‘improve’—”

_“Wait, go back!”_

She stopped. “Go back to what? Calling you an idiot?”

_“Not that! Go back to your fridge!”_

“My fridge? Why—” As soon as her eyes landed on it, she turned on her heels, phone shaking in her hands as she got out of the kitchen. “And this is where I usually take my work calls,” she mumbled, showing him her laptop on the table.

 _“DID YOU STICK MY PHOTO ON YOUR FRIDGE????”_ Elsa heard his yell not only through her phone’s speakers but through their shared wall as well.

Her heartbeat sped up, and even though he could not see her, she shook her head. “I did not.”

_“You liar. I saw it. I SAW IT!”_

Elsa switched to the front camera so she could glare at him. “Stop yelling.”

He was grinning at her, teeth, dimples, sparkling eyes, and everything. “ _You put that polaroid on your fridge!”_

“Well, where else was I supposed to put it?” she asked with a nonchalant shrug.

_“In the trash can for all I care. Polaroids are stupid.”_

“I can’t just throw a perfectly fine photograph away. Even if it’s a photo of an idiot like you.”

Jack leaned closer to his screen and arched one of his eyebrows upwards _. “Did you just call me a perfectly fine idiot?”_

“... Do you seriously consider that a compliment?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Day 20: In Which He Hoboes**

He groaned, pushing his laptop to the side. He was so done with home officing. He rubbed his eyes, the effort of opening them again far too strenuous for his exhausted self.

Elsa’s door slid open, and her voice reached his ears. “Somebody is letting their beard grow," she said. 

Jack dropped his head back and looked upside down at her. He scratched his five o’clock shadow as she crossed the balcony with a watering can in her hands. “Hey, Elsa. How are your plants doing?”

She hummed. “Since when are you interested in my botanical hobbies?”

Jack shrugged. “You’re right. I couldn’t care less about your plants.”

“Gee, I appreciate your honesty." Elsa continued to handle her precious babies, and he watched her out of pure boredom. Sensing his eyes, she looked up with an arched eyebrow. “Are you seriously growing a beard now?”

He lifted his chin, giving her a clearer view of his stubble. “Yeah. What do you think?”

“You look like a hobo.”

Jack laughed. “That’s exactly the aesthetics I was going for, thanks.”

“It wasn’t—You know what? You do you. Go on and live your best hobo life, Jack.” 


	21. Chapter 21

**Day 21: In Which He Gives Her A Present**

Elsa had just gotten comfortable on her couch when that stupid walkie-talkie screeched at her from the coffee table.

_“Elsa! Can you hear me? Over.”_

Rolling her eyes, she tried to keep her attention on the book she had in her hands. She had barely read two sentences when the small radio cried once more. 

_“Hey, Elsa! Over.”_

_Ignore him, Elsa. Ignore him. He’ll get bored and will leave you alone. Just keep ignoring him..._

_“I know you’re in there! Stop ignoring me!”_

The bangs on the wall started, and she closed her eyes, massaging her temples with slow circles.

_“ELSA!”_

She reached for the annoying device with a grunt. “For heaven's sake, Jack! I’m trying to read here!”

_“You didn’t say over. Over.”_

She let her head fall back and frowned at the ceiling. “I’m throwing this stupid toy in the trash. Over.”

_“You can’t! What if there’s an emergency? Over.”_

“Then call me.”

_“But you keep your phone on silent. Over.”_

“Then yell.”

_“YOU SAID I WASN’T SUPPOSED TO YELL ANYMORE. WELL, MAKE UP YOUR MIND, ELSA, BECAUSE HERE I AM TRYING TO MAKE THINGS BETTER IN THESE FUCKED UP TIMES AND—”_

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. “Dear Lord, it’s like I’ve got you stuck inside my brain.”

_“Aw, I can’t get you out of my brain either, Elsa.”_


	22. Chapter 22

**Day 22: In Which They Expand Their Horizons**

As another attempt to keep themselves entertained, they had agreed to have an afternoon of new experiences: He would teach her to do something she’d never tried before, and she would teach him another thing in return. They had ordered each other the needed supplies in secret, and, in possession of their assigned packages, rendezvoused outside at the first opening in their schedules.

Jack had just taught her how to make margaritas, having been quite successful in doing so, if the nearly empty jar he kept on the floor next to him was of any indication. In her turn, Elsa attempted to teach him how to knit. Key word: attempted. Knitting seemed already like an impossible task under normal circumstances. Learning to knit for the first time through verbal instructions only was traipsing around complete insanity.

He kept looping the yarn around his needles, following nothing but his guts, and not expecting to be doing things right _in the slightest._ He felt a pull on the string, and he found his cat tapping the yarn ball with a paw, then chasing after it in a mad dash.

“Oh, look. Fat Diana likes her new toy,” he commented, resting his excuse of a scarf down on his lap. “Maybe she’ll lose some weight running after that thing.”

“Diana is lovely the way she is. Stop shaming her,” Elsa scoffed, then looked up at him. “How are you doing so far?”

“Doesn’t look right.” He held the unrecognizable shape of yarn up with a scowl. Unlike the perfectly patterned square that Elsa showed him, his piece had five wonky edges, and loose loops of yarn stuck out at random places.

She pursed her lips, and he could tell that she was trying hard not to laugh at his efforts. “It… certainly does not.”

“That’s it. I give up,” he grumbled, throwing his needles on the floor and chugging down the rest of his cocktail.

“It hasn’t even been twenty minutes, Jack.”

“Yeah, and that was enough time for me to realize that knitting sucks.”

“Knitting doesn’t suck,” she countered, flipping her hair over her shoulder to glare at him. “You’re just too impatient.”

“The holes are too small. I can’t even see where I’m supposed to stick my needle in.”

“That’s what he said.”

Jack’s neck turned so fast he heard it cracking. He fully stared at her, eyes wide, mouth agape, and accusing finger pointed in her direction.

“What?” Elsa asked as soon as she noticed him.

“Did you just make a lewd joke?”

“... No.”

“We should tequila more often, Elsa...”


	23. Chapter 23

**Day 23: In Which Modern Slangs Elude Her**

Elsa woke up with a jump, her drowsy mind taking a moment to sort out her surroundings. Eyes still too heavy with sleep, she slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together: she was in her dark living room, and she had fallen asleep on the couch with her computer on her lap while it played some random show she had no recollections of starting to watch.

_“You know, when people say ‘Netflix and Chill’, there’s a lot less Netflix… and a lot less chill involved.”_

She blinked. And she blinked some more. _Where was his voice coming from?_ Elsa frowned, her brain lagging too hard that late at night. Then, she noticed the tiny window on her computer screen, and her memories started to come back. They were supposed to be watching a movie together. _Right_...

Elsa grunted, rubbing her eyes. “How long was I out?”

_“Enough for me to be asked if I was still watching three times.”_

“Sorry about that…” She sighed, snuggling up with her head against the backrest and pulling her blanket up to her chin. “Action flicks… are not really my thing.”

_“No worries. Thanks to that, I got to take screenshots of your sleeping face.”_

Her eyes snapped open with a jolt. Elsa stared at the screen with rising annoyance. “You did what now?”

She saw him smirking. _“Want me to send them to you?”_

“I would rather you deleted those, actually.”

jack laughed, throwing his head back. _“Yeah, like I’d ever do that.”_

Elsa groaned, pressing her fingers to her eyelids.

_“You know what? I think I’m gonna print one and stick it on my fridge so we’re even.”_

“You’re not doing that,” she deadpanned.

_“‘Course I am.”_

“Oh, God…”

_“So you wanna watch the rest of the movie or what?”_

“Can we watch something else instead?” Elsa asked as she reached for her phone.

_“Sure. You can pick this time.”_

“Thanks…” she mumbled as she typed her sister a quick message.

**Anna, what does Netflix and Chill mean?**

**_Sex_ **

**_Why?_ **

**No reason**

**_ELSA???_ **

_“Hey, you sure you wanna watch another movie? ‘Cause we could totally do it another night…”_

Elsa buried her frantically buzzing phone under a pillow and sat up, shaking her head. _She was so glad it was too dark for him to see her blushing. Because she was blushing, without a doubt._ “Nope. It’s fine. Let’s do it.”

_“Are you alright? You sound a little—”_

“I’m fine! Let’s do it!” Her voice pitched so high even her ears hurt.

_“Okay… Whatever you say.”_

“Just hit play already.”

_“Uh… You’re supposed to pick the movie, Elsa.”_

“... I knew that.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Day 24: In Which She Sees Smoke**

His phone rang, and he wiped his hands on his shirt to pick it up. Smiling at the caller ID, he brought the device to his ear. “How come you're not using your walkie-talkie?”

He heard Elsa scoffing on the other side of the line. _“I refuse to use that stupid thing.”_

Jack chuckled, shaking his head. “Not that I have any complaints about it, Elsa, but to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

_“There's something burning. Tell me it’s not you.”_

A smirk graced his lips. “Is that your roundabout way of calling me hot?”

_“I’m talking about the smoke I can see coming out of your apartment, you idiot.”_

Balancing his phone between his ear and shoulder, he returned to the stove and gave the pan a quick stir. “Oh, that? I’m cooking rice.”

 _“Oh, that’s all? Okay, then.”_ Elsa let out a grunt loud enough to cross the wall. _“HOW CAN YOU BE SO CALM?”_

“Relax, my timing was just a little off,” he grumbled, scooping up some of the rice and giving it a quick taste. _Yuck. Okay, so maybe he burned it a little bit too much._

_“The smoke is completely black...”_

Jack tossed a whole bag of grated cheese inside the pan. _Cheese could make anything better, right?_ “There’s nothing you should worry your beautiful head about, Elsa. I’ve got everything under control.”

He tasted it again. Unsurprisingly, it still tasted like burnt rice… but now with a whole mountain of cholesterol garnish on top...

_“I never thought I would say this, Jack… but maybe you should go back to Spam...”_


	25. Chapter 25

**Day 25: In Which They’re Connected**

“Catch!”

Before Elsa even had time to turn around, he was already tossing the red cup in her direction. Catching it at the last minute, she sighed as she twirled the piece of string attached to the cup around her finger. 

“Honestly, how do you even come up with these ideas?” she asked.

“Alright. Let’s give this bad boy a test.” Jack stretched the string as far as it went and whispered in the cup. “Can you hear me?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I can hear you. I can also hear you just as clearly without the cups.”

“Were you this much of a killjoy growing up as well, Elsa?” he grumbled before whispering nonsensical sentences on the makeshift phone.

With a grunt, she pulled her cup away from her ear and dropped it on her lap.

“I never really understood how these things worked,” he admitted, rotating his half of the phone in his hands.

“Your voice’s vibrations travel through the string and are converted back into sound when they reach the other cup.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “You know, rainbows lose their magic when you explain the science behind them.”

“Rainbows are nothing but refracted light—”

“Shut up and come over here.” Jack hunched against the railing and pulled on the string.

Begrudgingly, she dragged her feet to the corner of her balcony. “What are you doing?”

He kept his eyes on hers. “Connecting.”

Elsa frowned. He tugged on the string cup again, and her hand was pulled forward. The weirdness of that sort of contact confused her. _They were… touching without actually touching. Why did a simple piece of string feel so intimate? And why was she so emotional now?_

She let out a shaky breath. Her throat had tightened all of a sudden.

“So…” Jack’s eyes were so intently focused on her that she feared he could read her emotions like an open book. “What else can go through the string beside our voices?”

She shrugged. “Why don't you try to hear my thoughts?”

He narrowed his eyes, studying her for a solid minute in silence. “You think I’m the most roguishly handsome person you ever met in your damn life.”

“Try again,” Elsa replied with a snort.

He smiled, eyes softening as he leaned forward, almost as if holding himself up on his feet was too much of an effort. He pulled on her wrist again.

“You wish we didn't need a stupid piece of string between us.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Day 26: In Which Hiccup Jumps The Gun**

Jack dropped his face on the table and tugged on his hair with both hands. “I’m losing my fucking mind, Third.”

_ “Just put on a mask and go knock on her door, idiot.” _

He lifted his head just so he could glower at Hiccup’s pixelated dumb face. “You know I can’t do that. What if either of us is carrying the virus? We could put the other at risk.”

Hiccup hummed.  _ “Fair point.” _

Jack groaned, bumping his forehead against the table with every word he grumbled, “You. Are. Not. Helping!”

_ “Hey, it’s not my fault you picked the middle of a goddamn pandemic to fall in love.” _

“Can you not say that in so many words?” Jack hissed. “I’m already miserable as it is.”

_ “Aw, cheer up, Frosty!”  _ Hiccup cooed.  _ “On another note, should I put her name on the guest list?” _

Jack jumped up, his arms gesturing widely at the camera. “Whoa, Hiccup. We haven’t even been in the same room together, and you want me to bring her to your fucking wedding?”

_ “I mean, there’s gonna be an open bar. And I can’t keep my eyes on you the whole night.” _

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not serious.”

_ “Just take your time, buddy. Who knows how long this whole quarantine is gonna last anyway.” _

He threw his arms in the air with a disgruntled cry. “I’m not asking her to be my plus one, dumbass!”

_ “Make sure to let me know beforehand so we can squeeze another seat at the table.” _

“You’re not even listening to me!”

_ “You think she’d be okay with rooming with you?” _


	27. Chapter 27

**Day 27: In Which Her Botanical Hobbies Come Into Use**

_“Elsa, you there? Over.”_

She lowered the heat on the stove so she could pick up the walkie talkie.

“What do you want, Jack?”

_“You know if I can put toothpaste on a burn? The internet is giving me contradictory answers.”_

She frowned as she kept stirring the sauce on the pot with her free hand. “What happened?”

_“Had to fix a light bulb, but forgot to turn it off first. No biggie.”_

She took a moment to glare at their shared wall, and even though he couldn’t hear it, she let out a heavy sigh. “Well, answering your question: no, you should not put toothpaste on burns. What you can apply instead is some aloe vera.”

 _“Sure, because I have plenty of that hanging around.”_ Elsa could hear the roll of eyes in his voice.

_“I’m not even sure what aloe vera is…”_

She chuckled. “Well, lucky for you, I happen to have a vase of aloe on my balcony.”

_“Wait—aloe vera is a plant?”_

“My pants are not that stupid now, are they?”


	28. Chapter 28

**Day 28: In Which He Makes A Gamer Out Of Her**

_ “Thanks again for lending me your video game.” _

“No problem.” He shoved a handful of popcorn inside his mouth. While still munching on it, he asked, “So? Are you finished with the tutorial?”

_ “I think so…” _

“What are you doing now?”

_ “I’m catching butterflies,”  _ she said before letting out a displeased grunt.

Jack chuckled. “Did you open your island for visits?”

_ “How do I do that?” _

“Go to the airport and see if you can find some kind of ‘allow visitors’ option.”

She hummed as she explored the game’s world, and he snacked some more as he waited.

_ “Done.” _

“Cool, now I can visit you,” he said as he focused on the task.

_ “Great…” _

Jack found her on his friend list and snorted. “‘Elsa’s Island’? Wow. Real original, girl.”

He heard her scoffing.  _ “Shut up.” _

“I’m sending you a best friends request.”

_ “And what’s that supposed to do?” _

“You give me access to scavenge your island.”

_ “... So you can pillage my new home?” _


	29. Chapter 29

**Day 29: In Which He’s A Little Tipsy And Wakes Her Up**

Elsa was suddenly woken by her phone buzzing on her nightstand. Panic rising, she reached for the device at the same time as she clicked her lamp on. She rubbed her eyes, attempting to make sense of the letters displayed on the screen.

She accepted the video call and, with her voice still hoarse from sleep, she grumbled, “It’s two in the morning, Jack.”

 _“Hiccup and I were drinking.”_ He giggled, slurred voice dragging as he hid his face behind a hand. 

Elsa hummed, shifting around so she could rest her phone on the other pillow.

 _“You ‘member him, right? The one with the leg.”_ Jack snorted. His camera kept shaking as he muffled his laughing with the sheets.

“What’s so funny?”

He grinned, his smile glistening in the dark. _“The leg. Y’know, as opposed to legs.”_

“Maybe you should go to sleep,” she suggested with a sigh.

_“I can’t. I wanna see you.”_

“I’m right here.”

Jack lied on his side, tucking an arm under his head. _“Yeah, but you’re not_ here _here.”_

“Go to sleep, Jack.”

He pouted. _“I told you, I can’t.”_

Elsa pressed her lips together, a lump forming in her throat and making her eyes sting. 

He continued to smile that drunkard goofy smile at her. _“I like your voice. Even when you’re mad at me.”_

“You’re an idiot,” she whispered, voice shaking a little.

 _“I also like that,”_ he confided.

“Being an idiot?”

 _“No…”_ He yawned, eyebrows furrowing as his eyes slid shut. _“Not that… the other… the other thing...”_

She chuckled, snuggling under her blankets as she watched his consciousness slowly drifting off.

“Sweet dreams, Jack.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Day 29.5: In Which He’s Still A Little Tipsy And Calls Her Again**

“Hey, did I call you last night?” Jack asked as he dragged his hungover corpse to the bathroom. 

_“Technically, it was very early this morning.”_

He splashed a handful of water on his face. “I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”

There was a momentary pause, and he wondered if he had lost connection.

_“You did joke about your friend having only one leg.”_

Jack grunted as he turned the shower knobs and let steam slowly fill the room. “Awesome.”

_“Where are you calling from? There’s a lot of echo going on.”_

He put his phone down so he could strip his shirt off. “My bathroom. I need a shower.”

_“Be careful not to slip and give yourself a concussion.”_

“Yeah… we’ll see how that goes.”

_“Are you still drunk?”_

Jack scowled. “... Maybe.”

_“Rule number one of drinking: Don’t shower while you’re still wasted.”_

“I thought rule number one of drinking was: Don’t drink and drive,” he said with an amused chuckle.

Elsa groaned. _“Go back to bed and sweat off some more of that alcohol.”_

“Can’t. I’m too gross.”

_“Beats the alternative of you lying unconscious in your bathroom.”_

“What if I turn the camera on so you can keep an eye on me?”

_“... You did not just suggest that.”_

He shrugged as he stared at his phone. “That way, you can call 911 if anything bad happens.”

_“That’s not funny.”_

“Hold on, I’m videoing you—”

_“No, you’re not—OKAY, CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU’RE OUT OF THE SHOWER, JACK. DON’T DIE! BYE!”_


	31. Chapter 31

**Day 30: In Which Anna’s Assumptions Are Not That Off The Mark**

_ “I’m just saying, you had a whole month of foreplay going on. I wouldn’t blame you if you jumped his bones as soon as this stupid quarantine is over.” _

Elsa groaned. She was starting to regret ever telling Anna about her neighbor. Even if she had kept the details as innocuous as possible, her sister’s hyperactive imagination was showing to be a force to be reckoned with...

“All those pregnancy hormones are starting to get to you, sister dearest,” Elsa mumbled.

Anna let out a dramatic huff.  _ “Tell me I’m wrong though.” _

Elsa glared at her computer screen as she stirred her tea, the rhythmic clanking against the mug helping to keep her grounded. “You certainly are, Anna. There was no foreplay.”

_ “I can hear the lie in your voice, Elsa,”  _ Anna stated, smirking at her sister.  _ “Is he the guy you’re Netflix and Chilling with?” _

She choked on her beverage, falling victim to a violent cough fit. She tapped around blindly for a napkin as she stuttered, “No—I’m not Netflix and Chilling with anyone!” 

_ “When can I meet him?” _

“If I have any saying in it, probably never,” Elsa said with a glare.

_ “Rude! What do you mean, you don’t want me to meet him—”  _

Elsa cleared her throat, sitting up and smoothing down the front of her shirt. “Anyway, how’s Kristoff doing?”

_ “Don’t even remind me of that goon!” _

“Why? What happened?”

_ “He skydived off the roof—”  _

_ “No, I didn’t! I tripped!”  _ Kristoff shouted over Anna’s voice.

Anna rolled her eyes.  _ “Kristoff decided that the lockdown, the one moment when we’re being warned to avoid hospitals, was the perfect time to fix a leak on the roof. Because, you know, he’s a TOTAL DUMBASS!” _

Elsa sucked in a breath. “Is he okay?”

_ ”He snapped his arm in two.” _

_ “It’s a hairline fracture!” _

_ “It’s still a broken bone!”  _ Anna yelled, glaring at something over the screen.

Not a second of muffled sounds later, Kristoff appeared behind Anna, wrapping his good arm around her neck and covering her mouth. As he looked straight at the camera, he declared,  _ “Just so you know, I’m fine, Elsa. There is no reason to worry, your sister is just being paranoid. As per usual.” _

_ “Get out of here! This is MY video call!” _ Anna roared, shoving him out of frame.

Elsa chuckled. “Glad to know that things are still as lively as ever in the Bjorgman residence.”

_ “Hey, if you’re gonna keep mocking me, we can always go back to discussing your sexy boy toy.” _

“HE IS NOT MY BOY TOY!”


	32. Chapter 32

**Day 31: In Which She Gives Him A Spa Day**

He kept his eyes closed as he tried to vibe with that weird flute and wind chimes track playing, but the only thing the stupid music did was make his skin tingle in a completely unpleasant way.

_ “Are you feeling relaxed yet, Jack?” _

She sounded so pleased with herself that, for a moment, he considered lying. But there was so much namaste bullshit he could take, and he had had a whole life’s intake already.

”I hate lavender,” he grumbled, reaching for his phone.

She was frowning at him from the other side of the line.  _ “What? You should’ve told me that sooner!” _

“Well, I didn’t know I hated it until I lit up the candle!” He dropped an arm over his eyes with a grunt. “It smells like a grandma’s bathroom in here.”

_ “Blow the candle out, you idiot.” _

“Can I stop the zen playlist as well?”

_ “Sure.” _

Jack welcomed the silence with a sigh of relief. 

_ “Well, that was a letdown.” _

He chuckled as he adjusted the framing on his phone. “Hey, I appreciate you trying to give me a princess day. And I’m totally digging these Korean face masks.” 

Jack ran a hand through his chin with a moan. “They’re amazing!” 

Elsa sighed with a shake of her head.  _ “Silver lining, I guess.” _

“Smooth like a fucking baby’s butt!”


	33. Chapter 33

**Day 32: In Which They Argue About His Pants**

Elsa enjoyed a tranquil morning of black tea and tending to her plants on the balcony when he came outside yawning. He looked like he had just woken up, hair sticking out everywhere, piping hot mug in one hand whilst the other reached under his hoodie to scratch his stomach. The back of her neck heated up, and she felt the urge to make her presence known.

Elsa cleared her throat, and his eyes moved in her direction. His eyes lit up as he found her, making her heart skip a beat.

Untying her hair so some of her face was covered, she gestured in his direction. “Nice sweatpants,” she mocked with an arched eyebrow.

Jack shrugged. “It’s laundry day.”

“I’m not judging.”

“Yeah, you are,” he retorted as he sipped from his mug.

“Well, did you not read the article I sent you about establishing a routine when working from home? One of the topics was that you should still dress like you usually would to go to the office.”

He leaned against the railing, puffs of steam dancing in front of his face. “What makes you think I don’t dress like this when I go to work?”

“Do you?”

“... I don’t.”

Elsa shook her head disapprovingly. “My point still stands, then.”

Jack scowled at her. “Why are you so interested in my wardrobe anyway?”

“Who said I am?” she asked with a contemptuous laugh.

“You just scolded me for daring to wear PJ’s in the comfort of my own balcony.”

She scoffed as she moved to stand right in front of him. “That is not what I did at all.”

“Uh, that was, like, two seconds ago. I’m pretty sure I remember what happened.”

“Oh, for the love of God, you’re not making any sense—”

 _“You_ are not making any sense, Elsa!”

Elsa rested her chin on one of her hands and twirled a lock of hair around her finger with the other. “What’s in the mug, Jack? Isn’t it a bit too early to start drinking?”

Gesturing down at his body, he stated, “Only drink that has entered this temple today is coffee.”

Elsa tsked. “Right. I forgot that you’re an idiot even without the use of substances.”

Jack made a show of flexing his biceps as he smirked at her, and she knew he was up to no good even before he opened his mouth.

“Listen, if you wanna see me out of my pants, all you gotta do is ask.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Day 33: In Which His Excellency Is Questioned**

“What’s the first thing you’re doing once the pandemic is over?” Jack heard Elsa asking.

He continued to pet his cat as he gave her question a moment of consideration. “I’m buying the whole Mcdonald's menu to celebrate,” he answered then glanced at her. “You?”

“Probably visiting my sister.”

Jack clicked his tongue with a scowl. “Way to make me look like an ass...”

Elsa chuckled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

He rubbed his free hand up and down his face. “Great, now you’re making me miss my sister too!”

“I said I was sorry!”

Jack leaned forward, folding his hands behind his neck and pulling his head down with a groan. His heart tightened as a wave of melancholy hit him in the face. “Fuck, I can’t wait to see her again.”

“How old is she?” 

“She's still in college, so… somewhere in her twenties?”

Elsa hummed, and there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

He looked up to find her smirking at him. “Hey, numbers aren’t really my forte.”

She laughed. “Which would be _what_ exactly?”

He leaned back, eyebrows arching up teasingly. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“All I’ve learned so far is that you love trying new things, but you’re also an impatient trier.”

He watched her, furrowed eyebrows, and tongue trapped between his teeth as he weighed down his options. Deciding that it was worth a shot, even if only to see her reaction, he solemnly declared, “I have a proposition.”

She frowned, and that crease on her forehead he was dying to trace with his fingers totally made his day. “Why do I have a bad feeling about that?”

Jack shrugged. “Come over once the quarantine is lifted.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open with startlement. “Excuse me?”

He bit his lower lip. _Shit, that was going better than he expected._ “You wanna see my excellency at work, don’t you?”

“W-what are you even talking about?” She glared at him with crossed arms, and he had to cover a laugh with a cough. 

He straightened his posture, chin up, shoulders back, the epitome of nonchalance. “Well, I don’t know what _you_ were thinking, but I was talking about showing you my portfolio.”

“... When you say ‘portfolio’, you mean the same thing as normal people, right?”

“I guess you’ll have to come over to find out.”


	35. Chapter 35

**Day 34: In Which It Rains**

Elsa peeked through the curtain and watched as it poured outside. It was hard to see the raindrops in the dark, but the pitter-patter against the building still soothed her, especially on a chilly night like that one.

 _“This weather is making me sleepy as fuck,”_ Jack said in her ear.

“What’s stopping you from going to bed?” she asked as she made her way back to the couch.

_“I’m talking to you.”_

She chuckled, pulling her legs up and throwing a blanket over her body. “Don’t let me get between you and your sleeping schedule, Jack.”

_“You can get between me and my sleeping schedule any time you want, Elsa.”_

Her cheeks hurt from trying to stop her smile from broadening. His voice had a surprisingly soothing effect on her, and she held the phone closer to her ear so she could hear him better. 

“Go to sleep, you idiot,” she said, lowering her voice to a little more than a whisper.

_“Come with me.”_

She shook her head, finding amusement in his suggestion. She had told herself that she would keep a tab on his drinking, and it seemed like he had had one too many beers already. Perhaps it was time she made him retire for the night. “Sure. Why not?”

There was a pause far too long in which she wondered if she had lost him. Concern slowly rose up to her chest.

 _“Elsa,”_ he called with a heavy exhale, and another pause followed.

“... Yes?” she answered cautiously when he said nothing more.

_“You can’t say stuff like that right now—”_

“Stuff like what? I just agreed with you.”

_“—And it doesn’t help that you still have bedroom voice.”_

Her hand defensively ran to cover her neck. “What does that even mean?”

_“It means that you saying stuff like that makes me wanna do stupid things.”_

Her mind blanked for a moment, and she had to bite her lip to stop an anguished sob from leaving her throat. Elsa shook her head, letting out the breath she had been holding, in hopes to find her voice again.

Elsa shut her eyes tightly. “Should we hang up, then? I’d rather not see you doing anything reckless.”

 _“Well, that ain’t no fun either!”_ His voice slurred a little, making her chuckle.

“Ah. What an impossible situation you have in your hands, Jack.”

_“Understatement of the decade!”_


	36. Chapter 36

**Day 35: In Which He Wants It That Way**

The music blasted off his speakers, and what kind of soulless monster would he be if he didn't sing along to the full capacity of his lungs? The chorus hit him like a snowball to the face, and he used the broom as a makeshift microphone for his performance. His ecstatic state hit such high levels that he nearly missed the sound of his walkie-talkie coming to life.

As the song's tempo slowed down, he heard Elsa's voice saying, _"_ _Good morning, Jack."_

Turning the volume of the speakers down, he jumped over the couch to pick up the radio. "Hey, Elsa. What's up?"

 _"_ _Is that Backstreet Boys I hear?"_

"If you tell me you don't stan my boy AJ, I am disowning you."

 _"_ _That doesn't even make sense."_

He shrugged, dropping himself on the couch. "Still disowning you."

 _"_ _What was it that you said the other day? About you being my only source of human interaction while quarantined? Well, that's a double-edged sword, Jack."_

"Yeah, whatever," Jack grumbled. "So what's up with you?"

 _"_ _Nothing much. I was trying to read, but you were very loud."_

He snorted. "You can't just hum to a bop, Elsa. That's, like, an unwritten rule in life."

 _"_ _Of course it is,"_ she replied with a chuckle, and he smiled as well.

"Besides, one cannot do house cleaning without a good playlist."

 _"_ _Wait… You're cleaning?"_

"Okay, now you're just being rude."


	37. Chapter 37

**Day 36: In Which She Stress Bakes**

She put the last batch of rolls on the cooling rack and stared at the mountain of freshly baked goods with a frown. Her mind was so packed with other things that she didn't even stop to consider that maybe three recipes of cinnamon rolls was overkill. She huffed. Surely, Elsa could freeze some of it, but they still were too many pastries for her to eat on her own… As she spotted that silly toy radio on the table, she was suddenly struck with a new thought. Elsa rushed to the balcony, hoping to find her neighbor there. Lo and behold, there he was, fiddling with his guitar again.

"Hello, Jack."

The guy looked up and smiled at her. "Hello yourself. You've got something on your nose."

She immediately rubbed a sleeve across her face, managing to wipe a thin layer of flour off her skin. "I was baking."

"Oh, thank God," Jack sighed, putting his guitar to the side. "For a moment, I thought that was something else…"

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed. "What—" And she gasped as realization hit her. _"_ _You think I was snorting cocaine?"_

He shrugged. "Hey, it's your life."

"I'm not—you know what? I won't even bother justifying myself right now."

"Sorry, I'm just messing with you," he said with a laugh. "You're too stiff to do coke anyway."

"... Thanks?"

"So you were baking?"

Elsa nodded. "I was. Do you like cinnamon rolls?"

He pushed himself up on his feet. "Of course I like you, Elsa."

She rolled her eyes. "Flattering, but I was talking about the pastry."

"I'm not opposed to them. Why?"

Elsa looked down, and her fingers played with the end of her braid. "I may have gone overboard."

"How far is 'overboard'?" Jack asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Six trays of twelve rolls?"

"... So you baked seventy-two cinnamon rolls just for yourself?"

Elsa let out a snort. "Good job doing the math on your own, Jack."

"Hey, we're supposed to be mocking your stress baking problem right now," he grumbled.

"Do you want some or not?"

He gave her one of his 'are you stupid?' looks.

"Of course I want some, Elsa!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think I know where this story is going, you've got another thing coming, buddy. I have no idea how or when they're gonna meet.


	38. Chapter 38

**Day 37: In Which He’s A Considerate Pet Dad**

Jack was sprawled on the floor with a nest of black plastic scattered around him. He flipped through the instruction manual again, the pictures making less and less sense each time he looked at them. He groaned, letting his head fall back. The urge to just throw in the towel and toss everything out the balcony grew with every second he lied there accomplishing nothing.

He glowered at the culprit behind all his grievances: His cat had taken ownership of one of the panels and used it as her new sleeping accommodations.

“You know I’m doing this for you, right?”

The cat had no reaction to the sound of his voice.

“Diana, you useless cat. Get out of the way!” He kicked the panel under Diana’s overweight body until she moved.

He picked the panel up and stared at it, almost as if he could intimidate a piece of plastic into doing his bidding. He was still trying to make sense of the instructions when Elsa showed up.

“Hi, Jack,” she greeted him, and her voice sounded way raspier than usual.

He stared at her with an arched eyebrow. “Hello, neighbor. What happened to your voice?”

Elsa shrugged as she rested her elbows on the railing. “I woke up with a sore throat.”

“You okay?”

“Probably just a bug.” She looked at the explosion of plastic on the floor, then her eyes narrowed as they moved back to his. “What are you up to today?”

He gestured around him with the manual. “I bought Diana a treadmill.”

"I didn't know they made those for pets."

Jack shrugged. “Yeah, it's like a hamster wheel, but for cats.”

For a moment, there was silence, and he cautiously looked up at her. Elsa watched him while biting her lower lip, her expression a hilarious mix of skepticism and wonder.

“What is it, Elsa?” he asked with a smirk.

“Your commitment is definitely something, Jack,” she mumbled with a sigh.

“Who knows? Maybe this will finally encourage Diana to move that fat ass of hers!” he shouted the last part throwing glares in the cat’s direction.

Elsa groaned, burying her face in her hands. “I take it back. You’re just a stubborn idiot—” 

“Excuse me?!”

“—And I feel sorry for Diana.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Ayame_D, rambledore (way, waaay back), and vnfirwg: Them singing together.


	39. Chapter 39

**Day 38: In Which She's Working Late**

Elsa's team was working on launching a new boutique brand, and due to the pandemic, the client's whole business plan had to be rearranged, including the inaugural marketing campaign. And back to the planning board, they went, setting the team's efforts back weeks, and requiring working overtime to make up for wasted resources.

She was just doing a final check on a press release when her phone rang. Resting the device against a stack of books, she accepted the video call.

"Hello, Jack."

Through the screen, she could see her smirking neighbor lying on his couch. _"_ _Good evening, this is your hourly scheduled sanity check. On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your sanity?"_

"An eight, maybe," Elsa replied with a frown. "What's the meaning of this call?"

 _"_ _I'm checking your sanity level, duh."_

"Why?"

 _"_ _You said you were going to be working all night."_

"Didn't mean you needed to stay awake too," she countered, her attention returning to her computer's screen. "Are you seriously gonna call me every hour?"

 _"_ _Sure, why not? Fat Diana and I will be here for you._ "

The camera moved, and Jack showed his cat curled up on the cushion right next to his head. Diana slept soundly and didn't seem that interested in the plans her owner had for the two of them. A second of peaceful catnapping footage later, the camera was shifting again, and his face returned to the frame.

 _"_ _Tell me I don't deserve the Neighbor Of The Year award."_

She laughed, throwing her head back. "You also happen to be the neighbor who had a box of cockroaches delivered to my door."

 _"_ _They were toy cockroaches."_

"They were unidentified items moving inside a sealed box, Jack."


	40. Chapter 40

**Day 39: In Which It’s Her Turn To Get Him A Gift**

“Hey, neighbor,” Jack greeted her as soon as she picked up the phone. “I think some delivery service got our apartments mixed up. I’ve got one of your green things here with me.”

_“Oh, that’s actually a gift for you.”_

He narrowed his eyes at the plant he had just put on the counter. It looked like mint, and it smelled vaguely like mint, but why, in Elsa’s eyes, he would need a pot of mint in his apartment did not make sense to him. Sure, he needed it for mojitos, but he could very well buy some from the nearest grocery store whenever push came to shove.

“Uh, thanks, Elsa… Can you go outside right now?” he asked, already making his way to the balcony.

“Yeah, sure.”

Elsa joined him soon after, and Jack stared at her with an arched eyebrow. 

“You got me a plant?”

She shrugged. “It’s catnip. For Diana.”

“So it’s not for me, it’s for my cat. Awesome.” He looked back at his living room and cupped a hand around his mouth. “Hey, Fatty! Get your ass over here! Elsa got you weed!”

“It’s not weed—” 

“Wait, can you trip on catweed?” He faced her once more as a smirk formed on his lips. 

Elsa shook her head. “That’s not a question I’m qualified to answer.”

“Huh...” Jack stuck his tongue out as a wide assortment of new ideas popped inside his head.

“Please tell me you’re not considering smoking catnip,” she mumbled with a sigh.

“... I’m not considering anything, Elsa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Ayame_D, vnfirwg: Jack getting a plant/catnip.


	41. Chapter 41

**Day 40: In Which He Shows Her A Streak Of Hope**

Her neighbor had impeccable timing, and it made her wonder if he stayed in his apartment listening to her side of the wall with a glass glued to his ear just so he knew the perfect time to put his schemes into action. Knowing what she knew about Jack, the concept wasn't even that much of a stretch. And that stupid walkie-talkie interrupting her afternoon tea again really shouldn't surprise her anymore.

_"_ _Hey, Elsa! Come outside!"_

She sighed, and her voice conveyed all her annoyance as she replied, "What is it, Jack?"

_"_ _Just come outside!"_

After a moment of silently debating her options, Elsa finally decided to fulfill his wishes and dragged her feet to the balcony's door. "What do you want now?" she grumbled, stepping outside.

"Look over there!" he shouted with excitement as he pointed at something behind her.

Still wary, Elsa carefully turned around. It took her a moment to figure out what she was supposed to be looking at, but then she noticed it: there was a rainbow in the sky. It was faint and barely visible through the rows of buildings, but it was there, a thin strip of color against the pale clouds. Poetically, a promise of better days when all around was gray. And the fact that Jack had thought about sharing that precious moment with her warmed her heart. She couldn't help but smile as she appreciated the view.

It was then that she heard the clicking noise coming from the other balcony. She turned around to find him pointing his camera at her. Before she could react, he took another picture, and she frowned in confusion.

"... What are you doing?"

Jack slowly lowered the camera and smirked.

"Now I have a proper photo of you for my collection."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by LivininCorsets: Something they wouldn't see every day in the city. (I may come back to this prompt another time!). And also kinda vnfirwg: Jack listening through the wall with a glass trick


	42. Chapter 42

**Day 41: In Which God Pays Him A Visit**

There was dust dancing in the air, and every time sunlight hit any of the specks, it was the most magical thing he’d ever seen in his whole damn life. He felt like he was watching a ballet company performing, and he couldn’t afford to blink and miss a single moment of that spectacle. 

“Aren’t you up early today?”

_Was God talking to him? After all those years of being a bad Christian, was God finally talking to him? And why didn’t anyone tell him that God was a woman? He probably could’ve saved himself a lot of embarrassment if he knew that before!_

“... Jack?”

Instead of God, he found his neighbor watching him with furrowed eyebrows, but she looked different. She was glowing. Every strand of her hair emanated light, and her eyes sparkled like marbles. An ethereal aura surrounded her, and Jack heard the angels singing in the back of his head, so maybe that _was_ God, and she just happened to look like Elsa...

“What is wrong with you?” God, aka Elsa’s doppelganger, asked.

“... Elsa?”

She frowned. “Were you expecting someone else?”

He giggled. _Was he expecting someone else?_ _What a stupid question!_

“You’re beautiful.”

Elsa’s— _or God’s? He wasn’t sure anymore_ —eyes narrowed even more. “Thanks. And again, what’s wrong with you?”

He stood up while twirling his arms around. “I’m just overjoyed. Isn’t this a beautiful day?”

“I suppose it is...”

“The sun is shining, birds are singing on the rooftop, we have the whole world to ourselves…”

“Oh, God. You smoked catnip, didn’t you?” _Okay, so maybe that_ was _his neighbor._

He rubbed his eyes as he laughed. “Silly Elsa. Why do you assume that my happy state of mind must be the effect of drugs?”

“Because I don’t think you’re above the indiscriminate use of hallucinogen substances.”

He pouted, putting his hands on his hips. “I’ll have you know, I could totally pass a doping test right now. And with flying colors.”

Elsa walked to the railing and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “What are you on, then?”

“Love.”

She chuckled, and her chuckle was way better than the sound of those stupid angels singing. _Sorry not sorry, God. Better luck next time._

“Of course. How did you sleep last night, Jack?”

“I didn’t,” he said with a shrug.

“Excuse me?”

“72 hours with no sleep challenge.”

She didn’t say anything for a while, so he explained, “It’s a challenge in which you have to stay awake for—”

“I know what it means, you idiot.” Elsa rolled her eyes. “Why are you doing it?”

“Because I’ve got fans to please.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t take you seriously right now.”

“Where are you going?” he shouted as she tried to go back inside.

“I’ll talk to you when you’re sober.” She glared at him. “So go to sleep already.”

“I can’t! I still have half a day to go!”

“That sounds like a you problem.”

“Don’t leave me, Elsa!”


	43. Chapter 43

**Day 42: In Which He Has A New Girl In His Heart**

Her neighbor showed up carrying the tiniest orange ball of fur in the world, and Elsa’s heart swelled with joy.

“Who’s that cute little thing?” she asked with a smile.

Jack shifted his arms to grant her a better look at the kitten. “Elsa, meet our new addition to the family: this is Ashley.”

Elsa’s hands went to her cheeks as she cooed at the little bundle of poofy adorableness he was holding. “Hi, Ashley,” she said before looking up at him. “I didn’t know you were thinking about adopting another cat.”

“I wasn’t, but this quarantine is making me lonely.” He shrugged, one of his hands smoothing the length of Ashley’s fur from head to tail. “Diana only acknowledges me when she’s hungry, and I was in need of some appreciation here.”

She let out a chuckle. “Aw, poor you.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade your company for anything in the world…” Smirking, he lowered his voice to confide, “But there are times when you just wanna cuddle.”

Elsa scoffed with a roll of her eyes. “How’s Diana handling having to share her human’s affection with another cat all of a sudden?”

“She attacked Ashley as soon as I turned my back on them.”

“She did?” she asked, concern rising to her semblance.

“Yeah. Now, Fatty is grounded and this little one is sleeping on my bed to make sure that she’s safe at night.”

“Why does it sound like you have a favorite cat?”

“Probably because I have. Fat Diana only sees me as her food slave whereas Ashley actually cares about me.”

“I’m sure Diana loves you in her own way.”

He laughed throwing his head back, incredulity written all over his face.

“What is it?” Elsa asked with an arched eyebrow.

“That ungrateful cat does not deserve having you as her attorney, Elsa...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: New cat.


	44. Chapter 44

**Day 43: In Which They Kitchen Together**

“I can’t believe you’re making me work my ass off for two days in a row just for a goddamn milkshake,” Jack grumbled as he tossed another scoop of ice cream inside the blender.

_ “You’ll see that homemade ice cream tastes better than store-bought any day,”  _ she stated while scowling at him from his phone’s screen.

“You remember I’m not really a home cook, right?” he asked, licking some of the mixture dripping off the side of the cup.

_ “You should be fine as long as you followed my instructions correctly.” _

He hummed as he looked through the pantry for his next set of ingredients. “I think I’m gonna add a bit of cayenne to mine. Nothing goes better than heat and cold.”

_ “Whatever you say, Jack...” _

Jack rolled his eyes as he sprinkled some pepper on top of the cream. “Sorry if I’m too experimental for you, Miss Boring Peanut Butter And Chocolate.”

_ “If you must know, this is a recipe my sister and I took years to perfect,” _ she stated with a huff. 

Elsa had taken a moment to lean her arms against the counter and glare at him, so he decided to do the same. With a smirk on his lips, he said, “Apologies, I didn’t mean to insult your otherworldly ice cream creation. So what’s next, Oh, Great Master?”

She straightened up and waved at him with her spatula.  _ “Are you done throwing random ingredients into your blender? Or is there another bottle of liquor waiting for you somewhere?” _

“Ha, ha. You’re hilarious, Elsa.” He clicked the lid shut and looked at her. “I'm ready when you are.”

Elsa turned her blender on, and he followed. As he watched in wonder the pale mixture turning smooth and homogenous, he heard her saying,  _ “Once everything is mixed, pour it into your glass and cover it with whipped cream. Then, add your toppings. I’m going with crushed nuts.” _

“Mine is gonna be pretzels and M&Ms.” Jack focused on constructing his concoction, his photographer’s eyes paying far too much attention to aesthetics for a simple afternoon dessert. 

_ “I think I’m done. You?” _

He nodded, picking his glass up and showing it to the camera. “Cheers!”

He slurped down a third of the beverage in one go, and he had to admit, even with his subpar kitchen skills, he could see that Elsa was onto something when she claimed homemade stuff was better. The ice cream was lighter, creamier, and the cayenne gave it just the right amount of kick to make him wanna fill a bathtub with the mixture and let his body sink in it. 

Jack licked his lips with a loud moan. “I don't know about you, but my milkshake is bringing all the boys to the yard.”

_ “We’re quarantined. Your milkshake should be staying isolated inside your nice little apartment, Jack.” _

He couldn’t help but scowl at her. 

“... You are such a killjoy, Elsa.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: Elsa teaching Jack how to cook.


	45. Chapter 45

**Day 44: In Which They’re Both Bad At Family Games**

She watched him drawing a bunch of squiggly lines all around the paper, and the more he drew, the more confused she got.

“Uh… a torture chamber?” she suggested. “A—a dentist’s office? Are they crying? I don’t—” 

The timer went off, and he tossed his Sharpie on the floor. “Oh, come on! Seriously?!”

“What the hell is that?!” she asked, pointing at his drawing.

“A sauna! How can you not get it?”

She threw her arms in the air with a grunt. “I thought you were supposed to be an artist.”

“Hey, I’m a photographer who occasionally uses photoshop. I don’t draw.” He sat back down and propped his feet up on the vacant chair. “Okay, your turn. Ready?”

She rotated her shoulders and neck to psych herself before picking up her clipboard and pen. “Yes.”

Phone in hand, Jack shouted, “And.. go!”

Two seconds in and he was already guessing, “A penis.”

Elsa snorted with contempt as she continued to add details to her drawing. “No.”

“A hard-on. A circumcision. Balls—why are you mad at me? That’s totally a penis!”

If glares could kill, she would probably have successfully done that by now. But seeing as that wasn’t the case, the only thing that she accomplished was to make him snigger like a flamboyant teenager boy.

“It’s not a penis,” Elsa grumbled, pulling a clean sheet of paper and smoothing it on the clipboard.

She restarted her drawing, more careful this time, but then she heard him laughing.

“You’re drawing a penis again! A penis with a piercing!”

“IT’S NOT A PENIS!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I doodled [ their drawings](https://jellylollie.tumblr.com/post/619628513729855488/do-you-know-the-answer). See if you can guess what Elsa's was!


	46. Chapter 46

**Day 45: In Which Being A Cat Dad Is Hard**

Jack had to mute his mic in the middle of a work call because of the feline squabble he heard happening in the background. 

“Hey! Break it off!” he yelled when he spotted the two cats at each other’s throats with their food bowls’ content scattered all across the floor. He rushed to pick Ashley up, but even as he did that, the cats continued to growl at each other from a distance.

“You, baby one, why are you picking a fight with a cat three times your size?” Jack asked as he inspected the kitten for any visible injuries. Satisfied that he couldn’t find any, his attention moved to the cat on the floor. “And you, stop hogging all the food, you glutton!”

Diana’s fur was completely puffed up, and her glare was pointedly aimed at her younger sister.

“What, so you’re ignoring me now? You’re the eldest, stop acting like a spoilt brat, Diana!”

He put Ashley down on the opposite side of the room and half-assedly cleaned up their mess. He refilled their bowls with a final glower in both of the cats’ directions. 

“Now, I’m trying to work here, so you two better play nice, understood?”

His children ignored him, so he went back to his laptop and put his headset back on. Unmuting the call, he let out an exasperated laugh. “Sorry, everyone. Pets, am I right? So where were we—”

Glass shattered on the floor and two distinct sets of cat screeches reached his ears. He didn’t even bother muting the call this time, and he got up with a deafening roar.

“CATS! I SWEAR TO GOD, I’M SENDING YOU TO GO LIVE WITH ELSA!”


	47. Chapter 47

**Day 46: In Which She Arm Knits**

When he went outside, he found Elsa knitting like a cartoon granny with a shawl over her shoulders and a cup of tea on the table. 

“Whoa—what size was the sheep those things came from?” he asked, pointing at the oversized ball of yarn at Elsa’s feet. He then noticed that she was using her own arms as the needles, and he applauded her dexterity inside his head.

“Very funny,” she mumbled as she expertly looped the yarn from one arm to the other.

He leaned against the railing and watched her swift movements with amusement. “What are you knitting?”

“A baby blanket.”

“Oh, for your sister?”

Elsa hummed. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to give it to her, but the yarn was just hanging in the back of my closet, so I figured, why not?”

Jack scowled. Even though she tried to pass that comment as casual, he had a pretty clear idea of what the thoughts she didn’t voice out loud looked like. And not wanting to watch her go all dark and gloomy on him again, he puffed out his chest and admitted with a grin, “Not gonna lie, that thing looks cozy as fuck.”

She let out a chuckle. “That’s kind of what I was going for, so thanks... I can make you one next if you’d like.”

“Uh… I don’t know how to say this, Elsa, but I’m not pregnant.”

Her arms stopped moving, and she lowered the incomplete blanket so she could fully glare at him. “That’s not what I meant, you idiot.”

He pulled his shirt up and showed her his stomach. Definition could use some work, sure, but his abs were nothing to sneeze at, if he did say so himself. “Is my belly showing that much?”

Elsa’s neck rolled so fast he almost heard the whiplash. Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes remained glued to the bundled up yarn on her lap. “It's not—forget I said anything…” 

Satisfaction filled him as he noticed the color rising to her cheeks, and he chuckled. “Well, going back to your suggestion, I wouldn’t mind having a giant sheep’s skin keeping me warm at night.”

“Why do you make it sound so weird?”

He laughed. “Lemme rephrase that: I would love it if you knit me an oversized baby blanket, Elsa.”

“Still a bit weird,” she mumbled as she shook her head.

“Hey, if I can’t have you, a nice cozy blanket is the next best thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: baby blanket. 
> 
> I haven't figured out what to write for some of the prompts, but keep them coming!


	48. Chapter 48

**Day 47: In Which The Adventures Of A Cat Dad Continue**

Jack was sitting on the floor, working with his computer on the coffee table when Ashley came purring for attention. He put her on his lap, cooing nonsensical words as he ran a hand up and down her fur. Reaching the cat’s neck, he quickly noticed that she had something in her mouth, and he turned Ashley’s head for a proper inspection.

“Whatcha got there, you demonic cat?” Jack kept holding her until she opened her mouth, and he flinched as soon as something viscous touched his skin. “Ew, Ashley!”

He jumped, tossing what he assumed was a dismembered gecko as far as his nauseated self could manage, but by doing so, his knee hit the table, sending an immediate jolt of pain through his entire body. 

“FUCK!”

He collapsed face down on the floor with both hands clutching his injured limb, and Ashley came to nuzzle the top of his head. “No! Bad cat! Get away from me!”

 _“What’s going on over there, Jack?”_ he heard Elsa asking from the other side of the wall. _“Sounds like you’re struggling.”_

Jack laughed as he shouted back, “A little bit, yeah.”

A second later, his phone was ringing.

 _“What are you doing?”_ Elsa’s voice asked.

“My cat thinks she’s a fucking lioness. And now there are bits of lizard all over the floor.”

_“Is that you being dramatic again?”_

“It is so not,” he argued. “I dare you to come clean this damn massacre so you can see by yourself that I am being dead-ass serious, Elsa.”

_“Are you asking me to maid for you?”_

“I’ll pay you a hundred dollars.”

Elsa laughed. _“Goodbye, Jack. Have fun with your cleaning.”_

“Two hundred and I’ll even get you a beer!”


	49. Chapter 49

**Day 48: In Which Sisters Should Come Before Misters**

Elsa had always been the type of person who valued solitude. Truth be told, she’d much rather spend her nights at home with good food and literature than venture through the night, hopping from one bar to the other, or whatever it was that people her age considered fun. But despite being an introvert, the forced days of isolation were starting to have a negative effect on her. As the days merged together in that weird limbo they’d been trapped in, Elsa found herself craving some proximity. 

Unfortunately, her mixed up emotions didn’t go unnoticed by her sister. Said sister, ever so concerned, further inquired Elsa about her feelings, and it was with great effort that she lifted the heavy dome of reluctance that kept her struggles contained. It went without saying that Anna didn’t need long to draw her own conclusions.

 _“You know you two would probably be safe meeting up, right?”_ Anna said after a moment of mutual silent introspection.

Elsa sighed as she stared at her phone’s screen. She dared not to ask Anna for clarifications.

 _“I mean, you_ are _being careful, aren’t you? And I’m guessing he is too...”_

“I suppose,” Elsa grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

_“So what gives?”_

“In the beginning, we both sort of agreed that we shouldn’t become complacent about the pandemic.”

_“Meaning?”_

“Meaning that once we made a concession, it’d be easy to look the other way and start taking unnecessary risks. And I guess things just… continued that way…”

Anna hummed. _“I mean, yeah, it makes sense, but that was back when this whole mess started and nobody knew what was going on, right? What about now?”_

Elsa closed her eyes, taking a slow breath in. She could feel the unease crawling up her chest with its icy claws, and it took a lot of her self-control to keep a calm semblance. Clearing her throat, she answered, “Now, that’s just how things are between us. We talk to each other every day. Most days, he’s either the first person I talk to in the morning or the last one before I go to sleep, when not both. But circumstances put a barrier between us, and honestly, I don’t see it coming down any time soon.”

_“That’s so not fair!”_

Elsa let out a tired chuckle. “Many things in the world aren’t, Anna. And I’m sure a lot of people have more pressing matters to deal with than whatever struggles Jack and I may be facing.”

Anna huffed, leaning on her arms with a glare. _“Just because it’s irrelevant to the rest of the world, doesn’t mean it’s any less important to you, Elsa. What can I do to help?”_

“I appreciate your support, sister dearest,” Elsa admitted with a smile. “But there’s really not much to do. Whatever happens, happens.”

_“This is stupid. You should be allowed to write your own story.”_

She frowned. “Who said I’m not?”

_“You’re sitting on the passenger’s seat while you let some invisible power guide your life instead of hooking up with your sexy neighbor like you should be doing—”_

“Please stop.” Elsa groaned as she hid her face behind her hands. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks and mentally commanded her blood vessels to return to their normal size. 

_“All I’m saying is that—”_

“Thank you for your thoughts, Anna!” She rushed to cut her sister off as she straightened up. “I have to go now.”

_“Hell yeah, you do! You go knock on that guy’s door, Elsa!”_

“That’s not what I meant.”

_“Say hi to your boy toy for me!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by dangdiggitydang: more nosy friends (part 1).


	50. Chapter 50

**Day 49: In Which She Goes MIA**

Jack really tried not to overreact, but the longer his phone went without the ping of a new message, the hardest his heart tried to jump out of his ribcage. He was barely aware of his surroundings, the only thing that mattered at the moment being that stupid little device on the table. He tapped his finger against the wood to count the time and went as far as thirty-nine seconds before he was picking his phone again.

“Hello, Elsa,” he said as his call went to voicemail. “It’s me, your favorite neighbor again. I know I may have sounded a bit paranoid in the last three messages I left, and I apologize. But I’m really trying not to freak out right now, so if you could pick up your phone, or your walkie-talkie, or even scream through the wall, that would be great. If I don’t hear from you in the next ten minutes, self-isolation or not, I’m gonna bring your fucking door down, so, you know, you’ve been warned.”

He ended the message, and with a sigh, put the phone back on the table. The finger-tapping restarted, and after the number seventeen, he opted for the walkie-talkie this time.

Rubbing his eyes, he grunted on the radio, “Hi, Elsa. Me again.” A pause. “I know I said I’d give you ten minutes, but this is your last chance.” He paused again, wishful thinking thinning as he waited for a reply. “Show me any sign that you’re still alive, or I’m bursting into your apartment in ten…”

“Nine…”

“Eight…”

He almost fell off his chair as the radio screeched with a response.

 _“Hey! I’m here! I’m alive!”_ Elsa frantically replied.

Drained like he had just lost three years of his life, Jack let a tired laugh leave his throat. He opened and closed his fists to give his rushing blood _somewhere to go_ as he tried to cool down.

When he no longer felt like he was about to self-combust, he video-called her, and as soon as her face appeared on the screen, he yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK, WOMAN? I CALLED YOU THREE HUNDRED TIMES!” 

Elsa recoiled. _“Sorry! I slept in!”_

He jerked his head back with a frown. “... You never sleep in.”

_“I was feeling a bit indisposed.”_

And just like that, paranoia came back to pat him on the shoulder and giggle in his ear. “What’s wrong?”

Elsa started smoothing her tousled hair with her fingers, and he noticed that she was still wearing pajamas. Maybe she _had_ just woken up like she claimed, and not been secretly dying like a part of his brain was trying to make him believe.

_“Nothing is wrong, Jack. I’m sorry I worried you—”_

“Elsa.” He really hoped she could get the seriousness in his tone. “Why did you sleep in?”

She didn’t say anything for a while, and he huffed impatiently.

_“Let’s call them lady problems and leave it at that…”_

“Oh.” He scratched the back of his neck, eyes averting to the wall in embarrassment. “You sure there’s nothing else going on?”

 _“Yes, I’m sure,”_ Elsa replied with a sigh.

“Got it.” Jack nodded. “By the way, would you mind deleting all the voice messages I left? I may have overreacted a little bit, and I’d rather you didn’t listen to those…”

She chuckled, shaking her head. _“How on Earth could they be worse than the things you told me in person up until now?”_

“Sweetheart. You don’t even wanna know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts by vnfirwg, French_Furays: she sleeping in, he freaking out / she getting sick, he freaking out


	51. Chapter 51

**Day 50: In Which A Mailing Mistake Happens**

_“Hey, so… I got your package…”_

Elsa adjusted the phone on her ear as she pulled her legs up to her chest, getting comfortable on the couch. “What package?”

_“What game are you playing, Elsa? Because under normal circumstances, I’d be over the moon with it, but it’s, like, torture right now.”_

She frowned, and her eyes moved to stare at their shared wall, as if that would help her understand her neighbor’s words more easily. “What are you talking about?”

_“You’re being borderline mean, actually.”_

“I swear I have no idea what you’re talking about, Jack.”

_“Hold on…”_

Her phone dinged, notifying her of a new message. Oddly enough, Jack had sent her a picture, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about its content. At first, it took her a moment to understand the image: a disarrayed arrangement of multiple shades of red and black lace… and some shiny fabric, maybe silk? Be the quality of the products or the quality of Jack’s artistic eye, something made the box look rather luxurious—and Elsa gasped.

“That—oh, God—that’s not—” She felt her entire face heating up, and she pressed her eyes shut. It was a good thing that they couldn’t see each other. Elsa wasn’t sure she would survive the mortification if they did. “Those are work samples! And you thought—I’m so sorry, Jack—” 

_“Uh, okay. Got it… Do you want them back? Stupid question, don't answer that.”_ He let out a guttural mixture of a cough and a laugh. _“I’m gonna… So I touched the whole box—fuck, that sounds creepy—want me to wash these before I give them back to you or—”_

“It’s okay! Don’t worry about it!” She was about to scream, or cry, or maybe both at the same time.

_“Fuck, Elsa, I am so sorry.”_

“No, I’m the one who should be apologizing.” _Dear God, let them not have to talk about it anymore, please!_

“I’m gonna leave your… uh… box outside…”

“Yeah, I’ll get it in a minute, thanks!”

Ending the call as fast as her shaky fingers allowed, she curled up in fetal position, burying her face in the closest pillow. Elsa screamed into the fabric, trying to empty her worked up mind. She didn’t know where the mistake had happened, but she was sure to sue. She’d sue her assistant, her company, the American post office… she’d sue her neighbor, even, if it meant she’d never have to relive that memory again!


	52. Chapter 52

**Day 51: In Which Bros Should Come Before Hoes**

Jack lied on the floor as he and Hiccup talked on the phone. He kept staring at the ceiling, one hand absentmindedly petting the cat—the fat one—sleeping on his chest. 

“Call me crazy, Hiccup, but I feel like we’re kind of on the same page about the whole thing.”

_“Meaning she’s thirsting for you just as much as you are for her?”_

He scowled. “... Maybe?” 

_“That’s a good thing, right?”_

“What if it’s not? I mean, here we are, building up all these expectations… What if things are not all that?”

A pause happened, and then he heard Hiccup sighing. _“Jackson. Tell me you’re not being a shallow asshole right now.”_

“I’m not. At least I don’t think I am. But what if she’s… disappointed?”

_“What, you lied about the size of your dick?”_

Jack scoffed. “You haven’t been single for a while, and it shows.”

 _“What’s that supposed to mean?”_ Hiccup asked, and the asshole had the nerves of still sounding indignant.

“You should be thankful that Astrid agreed to marry you If you really think that dick talk equals successful courtship.”

 _“Courtship?”_ Hiccup laughed, and it made Jack want to kick his supposed-friend in his good leg. His only leg. Whatever. _“That girl totally changed you! I love her already.”_

“Wait till your fiancée hears you saying that, dipshit.”

_“Aw, come on, Frosty, there’s no need to be jealous. I haven’t even met the girl yet!”_

"Yeah, me neither, and look where I am now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by dangdiggitydang: more nosy friends (part 2).


	53. Chapter 53

**Day 52: In Which The Future Is In Her Hands**

How things had gotten to that point, Elsa did not know. One moment, they were joking about the incredible surprises of middle-of-the-road bathroom stalls, the next, he had a map pinned to a corkboard, and a Nerf gun was thrown into her arms.

And of course, his plans would not be complete without her being deprived of vision. He demanded that she covered her eyes, and the sleep mask on her face only increased the apprehension she felt rising up her throat.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, facing the general side of her neighbor’s balcony. “There probably are better ways we could be deciding it...”

She heard Jack laughing. “What are you talking about? This is perfect. Do it!”

Elsa pressed her lips together, and her fingers tightened around the handle. Her heartbeat increased as her remaining senses tried to make up for her lack of sight. Without giving herself time to overthink the entire ordeal, she lifted the gun and fired.

She heard the dart hitting something, which she took as a good sign.

“A little bit to your right. And maybe a little higher,” he instructed.

Exhaling heavily, she adjusted her aim for another shot and pulled the trigger.

“Ow!”

“Oh, God—” Elsa quickly dropped the weapon, fingers struggling to get rid of the blindfold.

She found him swishing his right hand around with a scowl on his face.

“I knew this was a bad idea!” she shouted, pointing accusingly at him.

“Put your mask back on, lady!”

“Are you kidding me? I’m not doing that again!”

He put the board back in place and glared at her. “Yeah, you are.”

She shook her head and mumbled, “Why can’t we just pick one location from a hat or something?”

“It’s a toy gun, Elsa. I’m fine!”

Elsa huffed, then she picked the toy up and finally managed to hit the target. “There. Happy?”

He rolled his eyes as he turned to inspect the map. “I kinda dislike you right now.”

Elsa shrugged. “I can live with that.”

“Wow. You really are out to hurt me tonight, aren’t you?”

“Well?” she asked, crossing her arms. “What were the results?”

“Pack your bags, Elsa. We’re road-tripping to Turtle Beach.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: nerf gun / trip planning
> 
> And did you know that Chris Pine was in a pandemic movie? It’s called Carriers. Pretty weird watching it now. I could only think about how they wore masks wrong… which was so not the point of the movie.


	54. Chapter 54

**Day 53: In Which He Seeks Assistance With The Female Mind**

Jack watched from the corner of his eyes as his younger cat continued to hop in and out of the dusty exercising wheel. Lucky for him, Ashley seemed interested in the contraption, not letting a whole weekend of hard work, and three hundred dollars (plus shipping) go to waste, and made him company as he worked from the balcony.

As he waited for his new batch of photos to upload, he decided to kill some time by Zooming one of his fellow workmates.

“Hey, Toothy,” Jack greeted as Toothiana’s bright and smiley face showed up on the screen. “How’s the most beautiful woman on the planet doing today?”

The woman laughed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. _“Alright, Frosty boy. Out with it: What do you want?”_

Jack gasped, placing a hand over his heart and feigning a pained expression. “Lady, you wound me! Can’t a guy just call his favorite HR rep just to catch up with her life?”

_“So now I’m your favorite? You should’ve kept that in mind every time you made me file one of those tardiness notices.”_

He laughed, leaning back in his chair. “I really miss you eating my ass out every goddamn morning, Tooth.”

 _“First of all, I hate that expression. Second, I miss you too, buddy.”_ Tooth placed her chin on her hands and smiled at him. _“We should totally brunch together once this whole mess is over. And before you say anything, I mean the avocado toasts and mimosas type of brunch.”_

“It’s a date. I’ll even pay, how about that?”

_“You sure know the way to a girl’s heart.”_

He lowered his voice. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours?’

_“That’s how we roll, isn’t it?”_

Jack laughed before straightening up and putting his serious face on. “Speaking of helping each other out, can you do this little thing for me?”

_“As long as it’s not against company policy.”_

“Don’t worry, it’s not work-related. I just need you and your beautiful big brain’s input on something.”

_“Why do I feel like you’re making fun of me and my beautiful big brain?”_

“I would never! You know I love your nerdy brain!”

_“Listen here, mister, you will watch that sass if you know what’s best for you. And you know what, Jack—”_

He dropped his head back as he half-listened to the woman’s neverending rant. With his vision upside down, he watched as the neighbor’s door slid open, and for a moment, he could’ve sworn his spirit left his poor body.

“Elsa! Hi!” Jack jumped on his feet at the same time as he snapped his computer shut. A second later, he realized that he had just snapped his computer shut, and that made him cold sweat for a whole different reason. _Oh, he was gonna hear an earful for that one…_ “Shit!” 

“Did I interrupt something?” Elsa asked with a deadpan expression.

“Nope. I was just, you know, boring work call…”

She hummed. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. I should go inside… check on the other cat…” he mumbled, hurriedly collecting his things.

“Of course."

"Ashley! C'mere!" He held the squirming kitten under his free arm and practically flew inside. “Later, Elsa!”

As soon as he was out of her sight, he picked his phone to call Tooth again. 

“Hey—”

_“DID YOU JUST HANG UP ON ME, DUDE?”_

Jack pulled the phone away from his ear with a frown. “I had to! Sorry!”

_“What the hell is going on, Jack? First, you call me being all creepy and offering to pay for brunch, then you say you need help—”_

He groaned, sliding a palm down his face. “Just listen for a moment, will ya?”

Jack waited, but there was no reply.

“... Tooth? You there?”

_“I was listening!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by chocolatiew: pet names and female coworkers.


	55. Chapter 55

**Day 54: In Which Flowers Have Multiple Meanings (Look It Up)**

Ever since waking up—since the day before even—, Elsa had been a bit off her game. She had an itch in the back of her mind that stopped her from focusing, and her mood worsened a little more with every new mistake she made. After being called out by her manager for the third time, she excused herself to clear her mind, which in consequence led to a thorough cleaning of her bathroom. She was in the middle of strenuously scrubbing the toilet when the intercom rang. Apparently, there was a package for her downstairs.

In possession of the unexpected delivery, she returned to her apartment and immediately called her neighbor.

_“Hey, Elsa. What’s up?”_

“Hello, Jack. I got your delivery,” Elsa stated as she glared at the potted plant she had just brought inside.

_“Oh, nice! What do you think?”_

“You got me flowers.”

Jack chuckled. _“I did. They’re called ‘forget me nots’.”_

“Yes, you said so in your card.”

_“... Is something wrong?”_

She hesitated, not exactly sure of what the appropriate reaction should be. For a fraction of time, there was silence, and Elsa considered hanging up. But then, she changed her mind and let out a defeated sigh. 

“Why did you get me flowers, Jack?”

_“Because you like flowers, and I wanted to give you a gift you’d actually appreciate for once.”_

“Isn’t there anyone else you’d rather send them to?”

He snorted, and she could tell that he was somehow amused. _“Who? My sister is allergic to pollen, and I’m pretty sure the cats care even less about flowers than I do.”_

“What about—” She stopped herself just in time and pursed her lips.

_“Elsa?”_

Elsa shook her head. “It’s nothing. I… I think I’m just a little confused.”

_“About?”_

“T-the meaning behind this gift.”

_“I thought the name was pretty straight-forward.”_

She didn’t say anything else, and her lack of reply made him exhale heavily.

 _“Okay. Outside. Now,”_ Jack ordered before hanging up.

Apprehension made her hands shake and her heart speed up. Warily, she trod to the balcony, finding him already waiting for her with crossed arms and a frown on his face.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Elsa avoided looking him in the eyes. “Are you sure you want me to keep the flowers?”

“Of course I am, Elsa. I wouldn’t buy them if I didn’t.”

“But—” She did not dare to word her thoughts.

He shrugged before moving to lean on the railing. “Way I figure, you won’t forget me as long as you keep them.”

“You’re not really giving me that many chances to forget you to begin with, Jack,” she mumbled.

“Well, you’ll have even fewer chances now.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she attempted a glance in his direction. Jack looked at her, his eyes a mixture of concern and wonder.

“Do you seriously worry about that?” she choked out.

Jack smiled that kind of smile that made her breath catch in her throat. “I think I just like the idea of you thinking of me for a change.”

She laughed, but either it was a genuine laugh or a mere social habit, Elsa couldn’t quite determine.

“Well?” He asked, making circular motions with his hand.

“What?”

“Do you think of me?”

“... I certainly couldn’t forget you, that’s for sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by chocolatiew and Catarina: jealous Elsa.
> 
> Not gonna lie, having people sending me prompts without really talking to me kinda made me not want to write this story anymore. Which sucks, because my comedic side was already coming up with jokes, but my writer side was getting pretty fed up. Look, if you sent me multiple prompts, but you also reacted to the story, this is not about you. If you pointed out anything that you enjoyed, or that you laughed, or that “damn, those were a bunch of chapters!”, this is not about you. Trust me, I really loved reading all your thoughts and reactions.
> 
> In hindsight, the amount of support I received overshadows the “write this or that” soulless requests BY FAR. But those requests kinda messed with my brain. I don’t really wanna end on an upsetting note, so I do think I’ll write a final batch using some of the prompts you guys sent me, but I won’t take any more requests. Thanks everyone who read so far. And see you… someday.


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waddup, fam. I think I finally got back to that place of writing for me and not worrying so much about what readers want. So here it is: the last batch. Let’s do this.

**Day 55: In Which Hiccup Rubs Salt Into the Wound**

Jack was in the middle of tending to his feline children when his phone rang. 

“Hey, Third,” he greeted with his phone held between his ear and shoulder. “What’s up?”

 _“Why’s Bunny texting me about your girl?”_ Hiccup’s nerdy voice screeched from the other side of the line. No ‘hello, Jack’, nor ‘Good morning, Jack. How’s it going?’. Just a damn deafening harpy cry that made his brain wobble inside his skull.

“Because Tooth is a fucking snitch, that’s why,” Jack grumbled as he poured fresh food into the cats’ bowl.

_“Wait, you told Tooth about Elsa?”_

“Kinda. She helped me pick some flowers.”

_“Aw, you got her flowers? Look at you courting your lady like a true gentleman.”_

Jack got on his feet and, for the lack of other one-legged nerds available, glared at a grease stain on the counter. “You know, if it wasn’t for the lockdown, I’d come over to kick you with your own leg, Hiccup.”

_“Love you too, Frosty.”_

Making a loud gagging sound, he poured himself a generous bowl of cereal. “Something’s wrong with her,” he mumbled between spoonfuls of sugar and cornflour ringlets.

_“With Tooth?”_

“There’s always something wrong with Tooth, that ain’t nothing new.”

Hiccup snorted. _“True. What’s the problem, then?”_

Jack hummed as he stirred his soggy dinner. “She looked at me like I just cut one of my fingers and sent it to her in a box.”

Hiccup hummed but said nothing more, and the silence annoyed Jack more than his friend’s usual unending blabber ever would.

“What?” He snarled, bumping his fist on the corner.

 _“Nothing, just…”_

_“What?”_ Jack repeated, the impatience rising in his voice.

_“Can I ask you something you probably won’t like me asking?”_

He rolled his eyes. “Like you don’t do that all the time already, asshole.”

_“... Would you have sent her flowers if it wasn’t for this quarantine?”_

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

_“I know I make fun of you being in love and all that, but… how serious are you about this girl, Jack?”_

Jack frowned. _What kind of question was that?_ He _was_ being serious about Elsa, _wasn’t he?_ His mood was uplifted just by hearing her voice, but what did that mean exactly? Was Hiccup any right in doubting his resolve? Would their relationship have developed differently had the settings of their encounter been different? Would they have come this far?

“You’re right. I don’t like your question.”

He heard Hiccup chuckling.

_“That’s probably something you should think about though. What does she mean to you? And how will she fit in your life from now on, and not just inside that bubble of yours?”_

Jack groaned, dropping his head on the counter. “How d'you do it? Show Astrid that you were serious about her?”

_“Put a ring on it?”_

“Forget I asked,” Jack huffed, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

_“Baby steps, Frosty. How about asking her to come to the wedding with you?”_

There was a momentary pause as his eyes slowly narrowed. Warily, he called, “Third…”

_“Yes, Jack?”_

“You just want an excuse to meet her, you son of a bitch.”


	57. Chapter 57

**Day 56: In Which They Marie Kondo Their Closets**

The quarantine was surely taking her to unexpected situations. Unexpected situation of the day: cleaning her closet whilst on a video call with her alleged favorite neighbor. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her phone propped on a stool between a stack of books and a mug, and a box of forgotten memories open in front of her.

 _“I mean, you probably can’t buy one of these anywhere,”_ she heard her alleged favorite neighbor saying.

“Does it spark joy, Jack?” Elsa asked as she turned the pages of an old photo album. 

_“It’s a fucking burrito costume, Elsa. Of course it sparks joy!”_

“If you say so…”

_“To the keep pile, it goes. Whatcha got there?”_

“Hmm?” Elsa looked at her phone and was met with the sight of him staring straight at her. “I found some baby photos.”

_“Yours?”_

She shook her head. “Who else’s would they be?”

_“Show me.”_

“I’d rather not.”

He pouted. _“Aw, come on. I’ll show you a picture of me wearing a leotard.”_

“Why would I ever want to see that?” Elsa laughed.

_“It’s your loss. I look phenomenal.”_

“I’m sure you do.”

_“Okay, I’ve got the leotard picture, and I raise ‘me in a waterfall’ for your pudgy baby face.”_

She glowered at her phone. “Who said I was a pudgy baby?”

_“Every newborn is pudgy, Elsa.”_

“You are wrong once again, Jack.”

_“Prove it.”_

“Nice try,” Elsa said with a laugh. “Here, satisfy yourself with my first ballet recital,” she mumbled, showing him a four-year-old version of herself in a sparkly sunflower outfit.

_“Aw, you were such a princess.”_

“Yes.” She rolled her eyes, then shifted the camera back to her face. “Now pay up.”

For a moment, he simply looked at her with a stupid grin on his face, which only fueled her annoyance.

“What?” Elsa snapped with a huff.

_“You so wanna see me in a leotard!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg, Anonymousreader and Guest: Closet cleaning/childhood pictures


	58. Chapter 58

**Day 57: In Which Plumbing Problems Arise**

Jack wiped a hand across his forehead with a long sigh. His neck hurt from his crouched position, and he could feel sweat running down his skin and damping his shirt. He pulled back, hitting his head on the sink, and an immediate wave of pain made his skull throb.

“God-fucking-dammit!” he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

 _“You okay?”_ Hiccup’s voice asked in his ear.

Jack sat down and stretched his legs on the floor. The mask covering his face made his breath stuffy and heavy. Filling his lungs, he sighed, “Yeah. Are you sure there’s nothing else to do?”

_“The leak stopped, right?”_

“Yeah…” he grumbled again as the ache in his bones was replaced by a flow of anxiety. From his spot on the floor, he could see that ridiculous polaroid picture on the fridge, and the sight of it made his skin crawl—for a multitude of reasons he’d rather not look too deep into whilst standing in that place. 

_“Then my job is done,”_ Hiccup said with a patronizing tone.

“Thanks for the help, Third.”

_“Anytime, buddy. Now suck it up and go get your girl—”_

He hurriedly ended the call before he could hear the rest of Hiccup’s words. Opening and closing his fists to calm himself, he pushed his body up on his feet with a final sigh and quietly made his way to the living room. There, his neighbor sat on the couch with her back to him, getting up as soon as she sensed him approaching. His breath caught in his throat, and he froze, unable to take another step. Tentatively, he glanced at her, and he felt his vision blurring. But not because he had to contain some urge to throw his arms around her, hold her close to his chest and never let go— although the desire was probably there somewhere... What unnerved him was how frightened she looked. 

Simply put, Elsa looked like she was about to lose it: she stood completely straight with her eyes glued to the wall behind him; her lips were pressed tightly into a thin line; her shoulders were shaking; she kept rubbing her fingers together, and she looked like she was waiting for the tiniest of signals to bolt out of there and never be seen again.

Not entirely sure of what to do, Jack sheepishly cleared his throat as he busied himself with disinfecting his hands. “The tap is fixed, but it’s kind of a mess in there. Can I borrow something to wipe the floor?”

She shook her head vehemently. “D-don’t worry, I’ll clean it up later.”

He tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but instead of the desired husky, mysterious chuckle, his laugh made it sound like he had a moth stuck inside his lungs.

“Are you okay?” There was concern in her voice, but she still looked like prey on guard.

“Yeah, I—” He groaned, throwing his head back. “Actually, no. I get the situation, but you’re kinda hurting my feelings here, Elsa.”

“Sorry.” She forced her arms to stay still on the sides of her body and took a deep breath. “I think I’m a little nervous… and not for global pandemic reasons…” 

“You’re saying that meeting me face to face for the first time inflicts greater mental distress on you than the threat of a deadly virus yet without a cure?”

“In a way… yes.”

“I should be flattered, really.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. At least you’re being honest.” He exhaled tiredly. “This is so not how I planned things to happen.”

She attempted a shy smile at him. “You thought about how our first encounter would play out?”

Jack shrugged. “Didn’t you?”

“I suppose…” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, loosening some of the tension on her shoulders as she moved. “So what _did_ you have in mind?”

Managing to find his usual voice tone, he suggested, “For starters? Me not stinking of sludge. Maybe candles, a nice dinner... I could wear a tux.”

Elsa covered a chuckle with her hand. "You do remember you were naked when we first met, right?"

“Uh, I was semi-naked, mind you,” he protested with a cross of his arms. Slowly, he felt the tightness in his chest diminishing. “Big difference.”

She looked up, and when her eyes met his, he made sure to put on his best innocent look, which only made her glare at him harder. 

With a click of her tongue, Elsa grumbled, “Right. My mistake.”

Smirking, he took a step forward and stretched a hand out. 

"Hi. I’m Jack. It’s a pleasure to officially meet you."

She looked at his hand and then back at him.

"Hi, Jack. I'm Elsa. And the pleasure is all mine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you didn’t see that one coming.


	59. Chapter 59

**Day 58: In Which Anna Is Indignant**

_“YOU DIDN’T KISS HIM?”_ Anna shouted, and Elsa rushed to lower her phone’s volume.

“I’m regretting calling you, Anna.”

_“You don’t mean that.”_

“I probably don’t,” Elsa agreed with a sigh.

Anna grinned triumphantly. _“So what gives, Elsa? He was right there, and you did nothing?”_

“That’s untrue,” she protested, looking away from her phone.

Anna rolled her eyes. _“Right, you gave him a handshake. I’ve seen more action in children’s movies, sis.”_

Pulling her legs to her chest and hiding her face on her knees, Elsa mumbled, “What else was I supposed to do?”

_“I don’t know, say something like, ‘You’re really good with your hands. Bet you could use 'em to help me with something else....’ and then you tie him to the bedpost or whatever.”_

Elsa scoffed, “What is that, the plot of a cheap porn movie?”

_“Life imitates art.”_

“You’re calling _that_ art?”

_“Don’t be a snob, Elsa. You’re the one who came up with the sexy plumber roleplay anyway.”_

“I didn’t—Can we please change subjects?” 

_“Nuh-uh. Who knows how many months it’ll take for you to make another move!”_

“About that…”

_“I mean, you could always blow up another pipe to get him to come back.”_

“Not that I blew up any pipe the first time, but...”

Anna clicked her tongue. _“You cook him stuff all the time, right? Make something that he has to eat at your place. Like fondue. Ooh, you can make chocolate fondue!”_

Elsa watched her sister’s expression changing from annoyed, to focused, to excited, to absurdly proud of herself in a single moment.

“Anna…” she called, but her sister didn’t seem to hear her.

 _“Hey, Kristoff, can you find strawberries this time of the year?”_ Anna shouted from over her shoulder, then looked back at Elsa with a silly grin on her face. _“Kristoff says you can, so—”_

“Anna, I’m not inviting him to eat here.”

 _“Why not?!”_ Anna cried, sounding like Elsa's words had inflicted real physical damage on her.

“Because I already did.”

_“Wait, what?”_

“He’s coming over tomorrow.”

_“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT SOONER?”_


	60. Chapter 60

**Day 59: In Which It’s Been a Long Time Coming (Part 1)**

_“And you make another layer just like that one, then dust some cocoa powder on top.”_

“Got it.” Jack nodded as he got to layering another row of biscuits.

 _“See? Wasn’t that hard, was it?”_ Hiccup cooed, and when Jack glanced at his phone, Hiccup was grinning at him with his chin propped up with both hands.

“I love you, Hiccup, but sometimes, all I wanna do is shove you inside a bathroom and give you a swirlie. Nothing lethal, just painfully humiliating.”

_“Hey, you’re the one who called me asking for a dessert recipe that’d make your girl swoon.”_

“Not my girl,” Jack grumbled, shaking his head.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. _“Semantics. The soon-to-be your girl, especially after she has a taste of that perfect marriage of coffee, and cream, and chocolate that you’re making.”_

 _“Oh my God!”_ A woman’s voice squealed, and Jack was momentarily taken back. _“Hiccup was telling the truth! You ARE cooking!”_

Confused, he looked at his phone to find that another window had popped up in their call. “The fuck?”

_“Whatchu making, Jack?”_

“None of your beeswax, Tooth.”

Before she could protest, Tooth was shoved to the side, and her face was replaced by her boyfriend’s. 

_“You know what you gave me last time I was at your place? Half a can of beer and a fifty-cent popsicle,”_ Bunny said with a glare. _“Good to know where your loyalties lie, Frost.”_

“Maybe if you weren't an ungrateful bastard all the time, I'd treat you better, fuckface."

_“What does that girl have that I don’t, huh?”_

_“Call this a hunch, but maybe a V instead of a P,”_ Hiccup suggested.

_“I have a vagina too, and Jack’s never cooked for me! Or bought me flowers for that matter!”_

Jack rolled his eyes, switching to the creamy filling to continue building his dish. “You cried for a week because you killed a cactus, Tooth.”

_“So? I’d still appreciate the gesture!”_

_“You get my girlfriend flowers, and I’m egging your windows, jackass.”_

_“You’re so cute when you’re jealous, Bun-Bun—”_

_“Eat my dick, Haddock—”_

_“Speaking of, how’s Astrid—”_

_“Speaking of_ _WHAT exactly—”_

As Jack continued to work on the dessert, he tried to tune out his friends’ conversation, but even if their words didn’t make sense anymore, the noise was still annoying enough to make him lose track of what he was supposed to be doing next.

Jack groaned, picking his phone up to glare at the trio on the screen. “Okay, none of you are helping! I’m hanging up!”

_“Aw, come on, Jack! We’re just trying to cheer you on!”_

_“Yeah, tell us about your plans!”_

_“Bring a condom.”_

_“Bunny! It’s their first date!”_

_“Uh, have you met Frost?”_

_“I mean, yeah, but this time, it’s different! He’s in love with her!”_

“BYE!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: Jack cooking


	61. Chapter 61

**Day 59.5: In Which It’s Been a Long Time Coming (Part 2)**

Elsa had forgotten how nerve-wracking first-dates could be. She had spent the entire afternoon micromanaging her preparations—from the perfectly even pieces of shallot that went into the pan to those rebel strands of hair that stuck out on the nape of her neck. And the worst part was that she didn’t really have reason to be so nervous. She knew that guy. She’d know him for months, and yet, there she was: a mass of restless energy with clammy palms and trembly legs… If she wasn’t so busy making sure that her heart didn’t leap out of her chest, she’d be annoyed at the effect her idiot of a neighbor had on her. Frankly, Elsa was quite done with feeling so unsettled, and she just wanted the butterflies to die already.

She was just fixing some last-minute details when the doorbell rang, making her jump. She smoothed the fabric of her mid-length dress and took one final deep breath before opening the door.

“Hi—” Half of his face was hidden, but she still could see the way his eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened. He seemed to struggle with his words, choosing to thrust a covered dish towards her and robotically mumbling next, “Dessert. As promised.”

“A man of his word...” she commented, taking the dish from him.

“You bet, Elsa.”

She chuckled, opening the door the rest of the way as she looked at him. “You really are wearing a tux. I feel underdressed now.”

His gaze turned serious as he leaned with a hand against the doorframe. “Don’t. You look incredible.” 

“You’re not so bad yourself.” Feeling her cheeks reddening, Elsa hurried back inside, using the tray in her hands as an excuse to get some distance from him. “I like your tie.”

“I was told it’s supposed to highlight my eyes,” she heard him saying as the front door closed.

“It does. You look very handsome.”

She heard his footsteps stopping, and Elsa held her breath in apprehension. She was sure she had gone too far, but Anna wouldn’t listen to any of her complaints, and the result was an overtly cheesy room that looked like the setup of a Valentine’s Day campaign advertisement. Carefully, she went to the other room, finding him stunned in place. She watched as the flickering candle flames reflected in his eyes and attempted a smile.

“Does it live up to your expectations?” she wondered, hiding her hands behind her back.

He blinked a couple of times before replying with a dry, “No.”

“... Well, that’s disappointing.” 

“That—I didn’t—” he groaned, clumsily messing his hair with a hand. Then, he rolled his shoulders back, and with newfound resolve, he took a step in her direction.

The sudden proximity made Elsa suck in a breath with surprise. Tilting her head to meet his eyes, she asked, “Yes?” 

He was so close that she could see his throat moving when he swallowed. Then, he wet his lips, inching even closer.

“It’s even better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you think Jack didn’t wear his best man tuxedo on his first date with Elsa, you’re wrong.


	62. Chapter 62

**Day 60: In Which The Deed Has Been Done**

Even in her sleep, she still had a faint frown on her face, and the sight of it made him chuckle. Resting his head on a bent arm, he carefully pushed a lock of hair away from her face, then worked on lightly tracing that crease between her eyebrows.

“You're staring,” she suddenly mumbled, startling him. She still had her eyes closed, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips.

“I’m wondering how someone sleeping so peacefully can be so mean,” he said, letting his hand rest behind her ear.

Her frown deepened, but she still refused to open her eyes. "Excuse me?"

“You realize you’re hogging all the sheets, right?”

She laughed, shifting inside her fabric cocoon until she was facing the opposite way, and sighed, “I don’t recall saying that I’d share my sheets with you.”

“Meanie,” Jack grumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. He felt the rise and fall of her chest as she continued to giggle, and it simply urged him to hold her closer.

Elsa’s laughing eventually calmed down, and she looked at him from over her shoulder.

“Hi,” he whispered with his head hovering over hers.

“Hi.”

“I’ll never get over this.”

“Get over what?” she asked with an arched eyebrow, arms wrapping around his neck and sending chills down his spine.

“You.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by every single one of you who agreed that they should totally bang on their first date.


	63. Chapter 63

**Day 61: In Which They Kitchen Some More**

Despite his lack of culinary finesse, Jack was proving to be a decent enough sous-chef as long as she told him specifically what to do.

“What do you think?” he asked, holding a wooden spoon in front of her face.

Careful not to burn herself, Elsa tasted the sauce, letting the flavors coat her mouth for a moment. 

“Needs more salt,” she concluded before returning to her own preparations on the counter.

Not a second later, he was making her scream with indignation.

“You’re spilling salt all over the floor!” Elsa grunted, shoving him to the side so she could clean up his mess.

“I’m saltbaeing,” Jack replied with a shrug.

“I have no idea what that is.”

“What, have you been living under a rock—Sorry, that’s kind of a stupid expression to use right now.” He shook his head. “But, like, saltbae was a pre-apocalypse meme.”

“How can you not know it?”


	64. Chapter 64

**Day 62: In Which He Cracks A Mystery**

He had finally figured out why Elsa smelled like a damn candy store all the time. Her hair care products smelled awesome, and he had had the pleasure of indulging in the girl's entire collection, even spritzing some of the setting spray into his locks, whatever the hell that was. Before he could forget to ask her about it, he wrapped a towel around his waist and crossed the apartment in search of her.

“Hey, where do you buy your shampoo?” he asked, opening the balcony’s door.

“Hm? The drugstore down the street—” She looked up from her book and jumped in surprise as her eyes roamed over his dripping nakedness. “You know, we wear these things called clothes on this side of the wall. Perhaps you should give it a try.”

He snorted, flexing his arms and puffing his chest out. 

“Bold of you to act like you’re not enjoying the show.”


	65. Chapter 65

**Day 63: In Which She’s Utterly Upset**

“Your cat hates me,” Elsa mumbled as she dropped herself next to him on the couch.

He took his headphones off and smiled at her. “What happened?”

“I went to fill her bowl, and Diana completely snubbed me.”

“Bet you’re regretting taking her side now,” Jack mocked, shaking his head.

Elsa hummed, picking a pillow and clutching it to her chest tightly. 

With a sigh, Jack put his computer to the side and brought her in for a hug. “You really are upset about it, aren’t you?”

Elsa hummed again, snuggling against him, and Jack gently smoothed her hair with one hand.

“Give her time, she’ll warm up to you,” he said, then wrapped the arm he had around her closer, squeezing her shoulders for emphasis. “Just like her owner.”

That made her laugh, and her lips moved against his throat as she spoke, “So you’re saying there was a time you hated me as well?”

He moved so he could look at her, a conflicted frown on his face. “On second thought, it’s hopeless, Elsa. Just give up.”

“That cat will never like you.”


	66. Chapter 66

**Day 64: In Which Chaotic Forces Meet At Last**

Jack sat on the floor, staring at his computer’s screen in a state of semi-awakeness as her free hand played with his hair. He had long forgotten what he was doing, focusing only on the soothing feeling of Elsa’s fingers in his scalp. His eyes had practically closed completely when a buzzing on the coffee table made him jump. Perking up, he picked the ringing device up.

“I think your sister is calling you,” Jack said, offering her the phone.

Closing the book she had been reading, she stared at her phone with a frown. “Hm…” 

“Aren’t you gonna take it?”

“I think I’m going back to my own apartment for a while,” Elsa replied as she sat up.

Jack rested an arm on her thigh and tilted his head at her. “I’m fine with that, but… You’re acting kinda weird right now.”

“I am not.”

As they argued, the phone went silent, and they both stared at the little device between them when it restarted ringing.

“She’s calling again,” Jack commented with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Elsa accepted the call. “Hi, Anna.”

 _“Hey, El—Where the heck are you calling from?”_ Anna practically shouted the last part, her face getting uncomfortably closer to the camera.

“Nowhere.” 

Elsa sat with her feet under her, and he made himself comfortable on the seat beside hers, an amused expression on his face, and a reassuring hand on her knee.

“How are you, sister dearest?” Elsa asked, avoiding making eye contact with him.

_“Oh my God, you’re with him, aren’t you?”_

“No.”

With an arched eyebrow, he asked, “Am I ‘him’?”

“Shut up,” she mouthed with a glare in his direction.

_“Is he there? Let me see him!”_

“No— _Jack!”_ Elsa protested, but there was nothing she could do as he snatched her phone and held it out of her reach.

“Hey, there—” Jack said, smiling his usual charming smile at the woman on the screen.

 _“What do you think you’re doing, you idiot?”_ Elsa hissed, still trying to retrieve her phone.

“—I’m Jack.”

“ _You are WAY hotter than I imagined!”_ Elsa’s sister squealed.

“Anna!”

Chuckling, Jack threw his arms around Elsa to stop her skirmishing. “You’re gonna give your sister wrong ideas if you keep struggling like that,” he whispered in her ear before planting a loud kiss on her cheek.

_“Aw, look how cute you are together!”_

“Thanks,” he replied as Elsa huffed and stubbornly stared the other way.

_“I’ve been dying to meet you, Jack!”_

“Feeling is mutual. Elsa talks about you a lot.”

_“We should totally compare notes, huh?”_

“Kill me now...” Elsa grumbled, burying her face in her hands.

He chuckled, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

“So tell me, Anna, what kind of child was Elsa growing up?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg, MlpFanCeline: Jack and Anna being conniving buds.


	67. Chapter 67

**Day 65: In Which His Skills As An Errand Boy Are Questioned**

Elsa stopped typing as her phone rang. Confused about the unexpected call, she held the device against her ear and asked, “What is it, Jack?”

 _“Hey, so what kind of wine am I supposed to buy?”_

She frowned. “There was no wine on the list.”

_“Hence why I’m calling you right now to ask, honey.”_

Elsa rolled her eyes as she started playing with a lock of her hair. “Well, dear, I believe cabs are usually a safe choice.”

_“Noted.”_

She sat straighter. “Since you called, are you the kind of guy who feels uncomfortable buying female products in public?”

_“Hmm. Try me. What do you need? Tampons? This month’s Cosmopolitan? Edible lingerie?”_

“... Never mind, I’m gonna buy it on Amazon.”

_“Come on, people are already staring at me like I’m a weirdo. Might as well buy whatever the hell you need!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by LivininCorsets: grocery shopping


	68. Chapter 68

**Day 66: In Which She Le Petit Princes**

_“Tu seras pour moi unique au monde. Je serai pour toi unique au monde…”_

Jack lied with his head on Elsa’s lap while he listened to her voice. He kept his eyes closed, trying to pay attention to her, but he couldn’t stop the goofy smile on his face from growing as she continued to speak words that were gibberish to him.

“What are you laughing at?” she chuckled as she traced the side of his face with the tip of her fingers.

He opened his eyes and found her smirking at him. He took her hand and interlaced their fingers together. “You’re kinda turning me on.”

“Bit of a weird thing to say when I’m supposed to be reading you a children’s book...”

“I actually do know some French of my own,” he said, sitting up.

“Do you now?” she asked with skepticism.

He beckoned her closer so he could whisper in his best sultry voice, _“Voulez vous coucher avec moi?”_

Elsa bit her lower lip to hide her smile. “Moulin Rouge?”

He laughed, as his free hand found its way to her jawline. 

“Aw, look at you being a little pop culture connoisseuse.”


	69. Chapter 69

**Day 67: In Which They Catch Up With The Bjorgman Pregnancy**

Elsa sighed, propping her head with one hand and rubbing her eyelids with the other. “I’m all for you having a natural childbirth, Anna, but your instructor sounds a little sketchy…”

 _“THANK YOU, THAT’S WHAT I TOLD HER!”_ she heard Kristoff yelling from somewhere in the background.

 _“WHAT DO YOU KNOW?”_ Anna yelled back. _“YOU’RE NOT THE ONE WHO HAS ANOTHER HUMAN GROWING INSIDE YOUR BODY!”_

“Anna—”

_“WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS LAMAZE ANYWAY?”_

_“WHY DON'T YOU GO READ THE PAMPHLET I GAVE YOU TO FIND OUT, YOU DOOFUS?”_

“Anna, calm down…”

Elsa watched as Anna shut her eyes and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. She repeated the slow breathing technique two more times before her eyes returned to the camera.

“So you guys have been fighting about it, huh?” Elsa tentatively mused.

 _“You don’t know the half of it,”_ Anna grumbled. _“He calls my Lamaze classes hippie mumbo jumbo.”_

“That’s a problem… But I still think you should check another instructor just to be safe. I’m sure Kristoff would also appreciate it.”

_“... I guess I could do that.”_

Elsa smiled. “Atta girl.”

Anna continued to complain about them ganging up on her when Elsa’s doorbell rang.

“You and Kristoff both want what’s best for the baby. Don’t forget that,” Elsa hurriedly said before standing up to get the door.

“Hey, you,” Jack greeted her with a mask on his face, “Did I forget an SD card here?”

“As a matter of fact, you did,” Elsa replied, going back inside to retrieve his card.

“You’re a lifesaver,” he sighed, giving her a quick peck on the lips as thanks. He then noticed her on-going video call and waved at the screen. “Oh, hey, Anna.”

_“Hiya, Jack!”_

“How’re the pregnancy cravings going?” Jack asked, pulling the seat Elsa previously occupied, and she took the opportunity to go refill her mug.

_"I think I found a combo that tops all my previous experiments."_

"That so?" His voice was amused.

_“Green beans cooked in canned peach syrup. And a few slices of jalapeño for garnish if you’re feeling frisky.”_

Jack hummed, lazily stretching his arms above his head. “You intrigued me. I'll have to try it out one of these days.”

“Please do so in the comfort of your own home,” Elsa scoffed with a shake of her head.

He snorted, leaning closer to the screen so he could confide, "Your sister doesn't seem to approve."

 _"Does she ever?"_ Anna laughed.

"I know, right? You should’ve seen the look she gave me when we first met!”


	70. Chapter 70

**Day 68: In Which They Cuddle**

There was something about dimming the lights and making her sit still for more than thirty minutes that always did the trick. They were supposed to be watching the new season of Queer Eye, but Elsa had dozed off at some point and now slept soundly, wrapped in a cozy blanket with lil baby Ashley curled up on her stomach.

He rested his cheek against her hair, and Elsa grunted in her sleep. Frowning, she snuggled into his shoulder, arms sliding around his middle and nose tickling his collarbone every time she breathed out. Jack unconsciously held her a little tighter at that.

He noticed Diana warily treading around the couch and patted the free space next to him for her attention. “Hey, fatty. Feeling left out?”

With the right amount of parental prodding, the cat was soon hopping on the vacant cushion, making sure to show it on her face that she was doing him a favor by gracing him with her presence. 

“Yes, thank you, cat. I appreciate your efforts,” he grumbled, brushing a hand up and down Diana’s fur.

Not that long later, Diana also snoozed. And so, he watched the rest of the Fab Five’s adventures as the rest of the household slept.


	71. Chapter 71

**Day 69: In Which They Camp Indoors**

_“It’s open!”_ she heard her neighbor shouting from inside.

“You really shouldn’t let your door unlocked, Jack. It’s very unsafe,” Elsa stated, cleaning her hands before locking the door.

When she turned around, she found out that a tent had been put up in the middle of his living room. Jack stood next to it, tying a linen edge to the ceiling lamp.

“You’re right, you never know what kind of crazy person could walk in,” he mocked, rolling his eyes. “Here, come hold this for me.”

She obeyed him as he stretched the sheet over the couch and secured it in place.

“How long have you been working on this?” Elsa asked as her hands were freed.

“I had a pretty workless afternoon,” he answered with a shrug. He held the entrance open for her and bowed. “Ladies first.”

Glowering at him, Elsa kneeled down to enter the makeshift shelter. Jack had put his mattress on the floor and pillows covered all the corners of the tent. An absurd stack of snacks stood piled up high, and he had even snuck his old guitar inside. The cats also explored the unknown interior, Ashley playing with a piece of string that Elsa somehow recognized—she then realized that he had used the yarn she had bought him to tie the sheets together. That made her huff.

“What do you think?” Jack asked as he joined her.

“It’s definitely something.”

“Can’t you just say that it’s awesome?” Jack grumbled with a scowl. 

He turned on a flashlight and put it inside a contraption with a colander on top. Immediately, there were hundreds of little stars dancing around them, and the cats went wild trying to catch the spots of light on the walls.

“Children! Knock it off!”

Elsa chuckled as she watched Jack wrestling his pets.

“I admit, this is pretty nice,” she said, picking the smaller one and putting it on her lap.

“Glad you think that, because we’re sleeping here tonight.”

She blinked, unsure if she had heard him correctly. “... Why?”

“We’re having a living-room camp out.”

“There’s a perfectly comfortable bed one door from here.”

He snorted. “Where’s your spirit of adventure, woman?”

“I don’t have one.”

“You disgrace me, Elsa.”

“I’m fine with that.”

“Come on, It’ll be fun!” he said, leaning forward with his hands on her hips.

She crossed her arms. “I believe we have very different concepts of fun, Jack.”

“Are you seriously gonna let all my hard work go to waste like that?” He pouted.

Elsa sighed, pushing his face away. “The sacrifices I make for you.”

Chuckling with satisfaction, he turned his back to her and got to preparing something she couldn’t quite see. 

“Here, for our first round of fun,” he said, offering her a glass with a milky brown liquid inside.

“What’s this?” she asked, frowning at the floating mini marshmallow with suspicion.

“S’mores shot.”

“Smells like freshman year.”

He looked at her with an arched eyebrow. “Oh, does it now?”

She rolled her eyes and clanked her glass with his. “Cheers.”

It also tasted like freshman year, she found out. Sweet, cheap, and with some final notes of regret.

“Just like the real thing, right?”

“Sure…” She discreetly pushed her empty shot glass to the side. “What’s next on the agenda?”

“How good are you at poker?”

She straightened up, shaking her head. “I _am not_ playing poker with you.”

“What about strip poker?”

“... Why do you think _that_ would convince me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by vnfirwg: pillow fort.
> 
> Accidental, but it’s Day 69, so you know what happened next... That being said, I bid you all adieu.


	72. Chapter 72

**Day 70: In Which He Pancakes**

He looked damn good in an apron. But apparently, Elsa found playing with the cats and a stupid piece of string more entertaining than VIP access to all his damn-goodness. _Of course his ungrateful feline children were cockblocking him. Things were already hard enough—pun unintended—without the cats getting in the way._ He snorted. _Well, at least the ladies were getting along better now._

He could hear Elsa’s cooing coming from the living room as he poured a hefty ladle of batter into the hot pan. It immediately started sizzling, and the smell of butter and sugar hit his nostrils, making his stomach growl. Waiting was the worst, so he occupied his time with licking batter off the sides of the bowl. He must’ve done something wrong, though, because when he tried to flip the pancake like Elsa had told him to do, things didn’t go his way.

“Uh… Elsa dear?” He tried poking a spatula underneath the batter, but all he accomplished was a big crack that nearly split Pangea into the blobs found in a modern-day world map. “A little help here?”

“What's wrong?” she asked, footsteps moving toward the kitchen.

“It’s all stuck,” Jack whined, and she brushed her arm against his to take the frying pan from his hands.

“Don’t worry, the first pancake is always bad.”

He glared at Elsa with his hands on his hips as she scraped bits of burnt batter into a plate.

“Are you telling me that you doomed me to fail from the get-go?”

“Don’t be dramatic.” She rolled her eyes, then handed him the clean pan. “Here. Try again.”

He looked at her with skepticism. “No catch this time?”

“You have my word.”

Round two really did go better, and he was rewarded with a golden, a little overdone on one side, fluffy pancake. By the third one, he already felt like he’d been making pancakes his whole life. In the fourth one, he pushed the limits of his skills, and also of Elsa’s patience as an observer, and attempted an air flip.

“Did you see that?!” Jack shouted as the pancake landed safely back in the frying pan. He laughed, throwing his free fist in the air. “I could so be a pro pancakes flipper!”

“I thought you liked being a photographer,” Elsa mumbled with her lips glued to the rim of her mug.

He shrugged, then went to lean against the counter, face to face with her, and with a stack of delicious-looking pancakes between them. “Who says I can’t do both? I’m gonna update my resume after breakfast.”

“Oh, sure,” Elsa scoffed, lowering her mug and locking eyes with him. “Add it to your skills right under being an idiot and a mediocre indoors boy scout.”

He scowled. “Uh, excuse you, who are you calling mediocre?”

“You don’t deny being an idiot?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

“... I didn’t say that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who said this story was finished again? That's right. This bitch. Sup.
> 
> Being serious, though. I had many people telling me that this story had a positive impact on their quarantine days. Reading those comments had a positive impact on my quarantine days, fam. I really appreciate all the support.


	73. Chapter 73

**Day 71: In Which She Cameras**

Something in him changed when he held a camera. She couldn’t quite identify what, but he seemed more mature. Reliable, even. It was a bit unsettling how the possession of a single object could transform a person—or the perception of said person—so much. Elsa bit her lower lip as she continued to observe him. His eyes were focused, yet there was no tension on his shoulders. The camera was a natural extension of his body. He seemed used to it, which, seeing that he actually  _ was  _ a professional photographer, really shouldn’t surprise her.

“Just split the scene into thirds and try to align whatever your point of interest is to at least one of them.” The camera clicked, then he lowered it to inspect the picture. Satisfied with his results, he gestured for her to take a look. “Like this.”

Elsa hummed as she studied the way Jack had aligned the buildings in the photograph. He was right: The Rule of Thirds did make the composition more balanced.

“Your turn.”

She nodded, looking around for inspiration, but stuck in the balcony as they were, her options were limited. At last, she chose to play with a block of buildings on the lower part of the picture and a strip of the sky on the upper third. After clumsily turning the camera this side and the other a couple of times, she finally attempted a shot, but… it did not look like she wanted it to.

“Looks claustrophobic,” she mumbled with her eyebrows furrowed.

“Anything does these days...” He hovered over her shoulder to look at the picture. “Ah, I see what you mean.”

He switched his camera to screen mode and held it at an angle with his hands over hers. With his jaw brushing against the side of her head, he explained, “Diagonal lines look less dull and constricting. And see those windows over there?” 

He pointed at a building with small rectangular windows side by side, and she nodded.

“Patterns look good in photos. Try to use that.”

Elsa hummed, looking through the viewfinder again. She tried to apply what he had just taught her to the composition, but her attention easily drifted to his fingers tracing loose circles on her forearm.

“Stop distracting me,” she mumbled, pushing his arm away.

Jack chuckled, and his arms wrapped around her waist. His chin came to rest on her shoulder, and teeth nibbled on her earlobe. The first contact made her flinch.

“You’re... a terrible teacher…” Elsa had to resist an urge to lean back. Suddenly, the camera felt far too heavy in her hands.

“Am I?”

“Yes,” she huffed, closing her eyes. “You’re the worst.”


	74. Chapter 74

**Day 72: In Which He Resets The Cycle**

He was tired. He was tired of being locked up. He was tired of living in the in-between, waking up every morning hoping that that would be the day things would go back to ‘normal’. He wanted to go back to the office and gossip with his coworkers by the water cooler. He wanted to be able to travel again. He wanted to see his family. He wanted to brunch with Tooth and Bunny. He wanted poor Hiccup to have his goddamn wedding already! But no. Day after day, his sanity wavered some more. That was his ‘normal’ now. And no matter what he liked to tell himself, Jack was not fine. 

That couldn’t be happening. Jack was the fun guy. The guy who always turned a bad situation into a good one. The guy who always had a joke on his sleeve; who brought a smile to anyone’s face. Fun, and cool, and caring. He loved being that guy. It was his essence. What would the whole inner-conflict crap mean then? That he was losing himself? That he was spiraling down and there was nothing he could do about it? That a day would come when despair would overwhelm him and he would not be able to stand up again? 

No. That wouldn’t do. 

He needed something to occupy his mind. To send those annoying feelings back to the dusty vault he usually kept them locked up inside. 

Elsa.

He wanted to see her. He wanted to be with her like he had never before. Proximity had made him needy. He was addicted. A single touch made him crave the next one, and the next one, and the next one, like an unstoppable sequence of dominos falling one after the other. He needed her. He needed her there with him. He needed her curled up against him, her hair brushing his cheeks, her lips scorching his skin. He needed to hear her voice, mocking him and calling him an idiot again. He needed her to fill his world so he couldn’t think of anything else.

Jack clutched his phone as he waited for her reply. A pain he couldn’t really pinpoint made him close his eyes tight, and he sighed until all the air had left his lungs.

He must’ve dozed off at some point, because next thing he knew, he was being woken up by an annoying buzzing against his throat. He picked his phone up and checked the notifications. Elsa had finally answered his text.

Not wasting another second, he rushed to her door, resting his forehead against the cold wood as he waited for it to open. He probably shouldn’t have, seeing as when the door did open, he lost balance, coming stumbling into her apartment and grasping anything his hands could reach before he crashed onto the floor.

“Hey, you,” Elsa chuckled out of breath in his ear.

 _Accident or not, he didn’t care anymore._ He closed his eyes, pulling her closer and squeezing her tiny frame against him. He felt the tightness in his throat lessening as he focused on the rhythm of her heartbeat and the warmth of her embrace.

“... Did something happen?” she asked, one of her hands tangling in his hair and fingers caressing his scalp.

He grunted with a slight shake of his head.

“You look tired.”

“I _am_ tired.”

Elsa pulled back to look into his eyes. Her fingers made a line down his neck, and her palm rested against his heart. She smiled. Her smile was so damn comforting. He felt safe. He felt _saved_. Even if Elsa herself wasn’t aware of it, with that simple smile, she told him that things would work out. That not all was lost. That no matter how bad the world got, good things could still come out of it.

“Sit down. I’ll fix you something—”

He pulled her into his arms before she could put any more space between them. “Yeah, just…”

Just a moment more. He just needed a moment more of weakness. And then, he’d go back to his idiot self. He’d go back to teasing her. To making her laugh. But for now, just let him be the one who’s comforted. Let her be his anchor. Just for a moment more. Then, things could go back to normal.

And they could have fun all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end. For real this time. Probably.


	75. Chapter 75

**Day 73: In Which She Has A Kitchen Mishap**

Jack tended to her injury with so much care that it would, under different circumstances, probably make Elsa’s heart throb, but as things were, the fact that he seemed to be having fun with the situation only made her grow annoyed the longer he wasted bandaging her hand.

“Maybe we should order take out tonight,” he mused, not even bothering to hide his stupid grin.

Instead of giving him a proper reply, Elsa simply huffed with a shake of her head.

“What, you’re mad at me?” Jack asked with a chuckle. “Hate to break it to you, Elsa, but you don’t get to be mad at me this time.”

“You’re making a big deal out of nothing,” she grumbled, rolling her shoulders back.

“Will you hold still?” he chastised with a firm hand on her knuckles. Despite her discontented sounds of protest, he continued his diligent work until he could proudly announce, “There! All patched up.”

“Thank you—” She attempted to pull her hand back, but before she could do it, he was bringing her fingers to his lips for a kiss.

“Wow.” She rolled her eyes. “I feel better already.”

Faking aggrievance, he sighed. “Stay here, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Elsa frowned as she watched him making his way to the kitchen. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

“Yeah.” She heard Jack snorting. “And I bet I can do it without losing any of my fingers!”

“FOR THE LAST TIME, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You should know by now that my word means nothing...


	76. Chapter 76

**Day 74: In Which He And Hiccup Bond**

Elsa had kind of an unspoken rule for him: Whenever Anna called, Jack was expected to get the hell out. Well, she probably would’ve used nicer words, but the gist of it remained the same. Anna was a major existence in her sister’s life, their time together even more precious now that they couldn’t see each other in person, and Jack knew better than to intrude. 

That being the case, he had casually excused himself to tend to his felines while the sisters conversed, and, done with his pet dad’s responsibilities, he dialed Hiccup’s number to kill some time.

_ “So when are you gonna introduce Elsa to us?”  _ Hiccup asked between stupid daily life anecdotes, his voice too exaggeratedly nonchalant for the question not to have been planned.

Jack snorted. “I can only submit her to one idiot at a time, and she already has to put up with me, so… do the math on that one.”

_ “Can’t you just not see her for a day then?” _

He hummed as he smirked at his phone. “That’s a hard no, buddy.”

_ “Aw, come on, it’s not like a day of abstinence is gonna kill you—” _

“Get a hobby, Hiccup,” Jack cut his friend off with a growl.

Hiccup sighed.  _ “You should know, Tooth’s also dying to meet her.” _

“Since when do you idiots talk about my g—uh, Elsa behind my back?”

_ “If I had to guess, I’d say since the day you fulfilled your concupiscent carnal desires—” _

“I seriously need to find new friends...” Jack grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

_ “Yeah, good luck with that!” _


	77. Chapter 77

**Day 75: In Which She Cares For Him**

She went to his apartment as soon as she was done with work, and Ashley greeted her at the door. As she petted the kitten, she took a look around the room, being met with a moment of disconcerting silence and darkness that did nothing to lessen the unease she felt within.

Quietly, she made her way to Jack’s bedroom, finding him tangled in his sheets, chest rising and falling evenly as he slept. Kneeling beside his bed, she noticed a layer of sweat made his damp hair and shirt stick to his skin. Elsa stretched an arm to check his temperature, hand gently caressing his forehead, and his eyes immediately shot open at the contact.

“Hey, you.” She smiled comfortingly.

“What are you doing here?” he hissed, rolling away from her reach. “I told you not to come!”

“I couldn’t leave you dying all alone,” she stated, getting up just so she could sit on the mattress. Even without any lights on, she could see him glowering at her. “Besides, whatever disease you were exposed to, chances are I was as well.”

“Aw, that’s probably the most romantic thing you ever told me.” Though his words were supposed to be humorous, she could still hear some hostility in his voice.

“Pretty sure you’ll live if you’re well enough to make jokes.”

“Don't underestimate my ability to crack a joke, woman,” he grumbled before dropping his head back onto the pillow.

She touched his cheeks with the back of her hand. “Doesn’t look like you have a fever...”

Jack let out a tired moan as her palm rested on his forehead, so she took a moment to stroke his scalp, hoping that the soothing motion could make him feel at least a little bit better.

“Have you eaten?”

“I had a beer.”

“You did not,” she uttered in astonishment.

Jack shrugged, shifting forward so he could hold her in a clumsy embrace. “What? Beer and bread are basically the same thing.”

“Your logic truly baffles me.” Elsa sighed, pulling her hands back to stand up. “I’ll borrow your kitchen—”

“Or, you could keep doing that,” he mumbled, tugging on her wrists and trapping her there with him. “Don’t people say love is the best medicine?”

Elsa chuckled, fingers tangling back in his hair. With her head hovering over his, she whispered, “You need sustenance.”

“I need you.”

Feeling a smile rising to her face, she pursed her lips in an attempt to keep the feeble hints of a serious semblance on. “Go back to sleep, I’ll wake you up when the food is ready.”

“My dreams are being crushed here, Elsa.”

“That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make if it keeps you alive, Jack.”


	78. Chapter 78

**Day 76: In Which He Cares For Her**

He found her lying on the couch with the lights turned off, a glass of wine in one hand and a pensive expression on her face.

“... Did something happen?” he asked, his preoccupied brain already coming up with a bunch of different scenarios. He immediately thought of Anna and the baby, and a chill ran down his spine when Elsa’s lifeless eyes finally met his.

“Someone from my team was fired today,” she explained before taking a swig of her drink.

He felt momentary relief at her statement, but the exhaustion on her eyes quickly made his concern resurface.

Sitting with her legs on his lap, Jack gave her thigh an affectionate rub. “I’m so sorry about that. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Elsa swirled her wine in contemplative silence, apparently so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn’t even find the need to give him an answer.

“Okay. Up.” Jack stretched out his hands to help her sit. “We’re going out.”

She shook her head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“We’re gonna take a walk around the block.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

He sighed, squeezing her free hand between his, and waited for her to look at him. “I know it sounds like an unnecessary risk, but I don’t think being locked up in here is doing much good to your mental health right now.”

Elsa frowned, her lips pressing together as if she was refraining from admitting that he had a point.

“You can wear your gloves and your faceplate thingie.” Wiggling his eyebrows, he added, “And we can buy ice cream on the way back.”

“Fine,” she huffed and chugged the rest of her wine. “But I’m not changing my clothes!”

“You look beautiful no matter what you wear, Elsa.” Jack grinned as he pulled her by the collar of her oversized sweatshirt for a quick kiss. 

“Ugh,” Elsa scoffed with feigned irritation and pushed him away. “You’re an idiot.”

Jack continued to smile as he led her to the door, not offended in the slightest. Truth be told, he simply felt comforted that he had finally gotten a normal reaction out of her. And, considering the mess that was their lives at the moment, he’d gladly take normal any day...

**Author's Note:**

> Check [my Tumblr](https://jellylollie.tumblr.com/) for fandom shenanigans. I sometimes write outtakes. And I draw. And that's the best place to check if I'm still alive or not...


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